The banana stencils were a critical working component for selling/marketing bananas from the 1920s to the 1980s in Australia. As objects of utility, the principle aim of the stencils was to apply a permanent and clearly defined mark that would remain intact and identifiable during transport from farm to market. The stencils represent the geography of trade - bridging the relationship between grower and wholesaler as produce journeyed across the country.

Banana stencils were an understated but vital piece of working equipment. Farmers could not transport produce to Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, or Sydney wholesale markets without packing crates stencilled. They functioned as a fast, efficient, uniform way to apply an address label to crates. The stencils identified (at minimum) the grower and wholesaler and locations. Some stencils included the grade of bananas and the chemical treatment of the contents; branding indicated quality assurance of the produce.

J.P. Ladd (1921 – 2000) and R.W. Kratz (1916 – 1998) were long term Coffs Harbour banana growers who also held committee positions within the Banana Growers Federation. They were well known local identities who contributed significantly to their community, industry, and the area's growth. Both had streets in Coffs Harbour named after them. In 1977, R.W. Kratz was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal (OAM) after 36 years of contribution to the banana industry. In addition, for his service to banana production and the community, he was awarded the Order of Australian Medal.

J.P. Ladd and R.W. Kratz farmed bananas commercially from the 1940s to the late 1970s. Banana stencils were in use from the 1920s to the 1980s. The stencils are good examples of their class, typical and characteristic of their time. Intact, in original, unrestored condition, there is evidence of how farmers used stencils. The J.P. Ladd and R.W. Kratz banana stencils are excellent representations of some 137 similar metal template items in the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum collection.

The J.P. Ladd and R.W. Kratz stencils are within the dimensions range: Height: 28 cm, Width: 19 cm. Made from lightweight tin/metal and designed for multiple uses, the stencils are approximately 1mm thick and weigh 135 grams each. They were relatively durable, inexpensive, and easy to use. Typically, stencils were applied and stored in the farm packing shed. Some stencils contain holes in the corners for hanging over a nail on the packing shed wall.

The banana stencils have unique aesthetic and cultural values. They are easily recognisable and relatable; they produce an interesting juxtaposition between the item as a work tool and stencilling for creating art and social statements. The items have a high interpretive capacity and current place within broader exhibition contexts.

Despite essentially being a uniform concept design, each stencil differs in the way its surface has worn, the subtle hues and nuances the metal has taken on, the size of the stencil, and the letters and numbers displayed. A natural patination of the stencils results in a vintage, rustic item organically weathered over time by atmosphere and work. The mottled discolouration of the surface of the original grey tin, including areas of rust in various shades of brown, and lighter patches of wear, combine to produce the unique, abstract, organic backdrops across the stencils. This background contrasts the letters' definitive, well ordered, crafted, deliberate negative space.

The machine-made plates are distinctive for their clarity, consistency of letter styles, and their placement of stencil ties. The stencils' simplicity by necessity as a working implement means the layout is not visually crowded or overwhelming.

The stencils, the resulting print, and the void of the letters are positive and negative space reversal. Displayed on a white background, the negative space of the stencils within the dark, organic rusted metal tones and the area around them creates a strong, sharp, dramatic, chiaroscuro effect. Displayed in groups or multiples, as in the current exhibition at the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum, enhances interest and amplifies the visual impact of the stencils. Local banana grower and NSW Farmers branch secretary (Coffs Harbour) Paul Shoker states:
'The banana stencils are an important part of the social, economic, and historical fabric of our town. Having these stencils on permanent display will tell future generations the stories of the families who pioneered such an important industry to our region. Whilst the nation rode on the sheep's back, the Coffs Coast rode on the back of the banana industry. These stencils are a legacy of our past to be enjoyed by future generations.'

Judy Attfield (cited in O'Sullivan 2019) believes 'that embedded within the material form of an object is a cultural memory'. With banana stencils, consideration of the name and location of the grower becomes a study of identity within the analysis of these everyday objects. The banana stencils enable a contemplation and reflection on defining character, industry, era, process, and functionality. The object-subject relationship that Attfield refers to is evident in the strong emotional association the growers I interviewed had with the banana stencils. It is important to note that the strong cultural identity associated with these objects represented one sector of the Coffs Harbour community since the 1920s.

The banana stencils tell stories, connect local people and places, and represent a national produce journey. As working implements, the stencils characterise an era (the 1920s – 1980s) that was important for the agricultural industry and economy in the Coffs Harbour area. Bananas became an icon of the region and part of the cultural identity for many locals over a long period. The area's annual agricultural shows featured banana stencilling and crate packing displays and competitions. Many businesses and the tourism sector in the Coffs Harbour area promoted themselves through bananas. 'Coffs Harbour depended on the banana grower; there is no doubt about that; it established Coffs Harbour really, the industry itself. The banana industry is very, very important. If a banana grower is doing well, Coffs Harbour is doing [pretty] well, too (Kratz)'.

From the early 19th century through to the 1980s, commercial bananas were only grown in relatively small geographic regions along the East Coast of Australia. As a result, banana stencils are in only three regional museum collections.

An item of their time, banana stencils, are no longer used in the industry. Stenciling on banana farms is now a redundant practice. The stencils represent one step in the geography of trade, and associated produce movement - the relationship between grower and seller in the more extensive process of picking, packing, and getting fruit to market. These stencils provide a direct, tangible connection to the area's agricultural heritage. They represent a part window into the processes of banana farming of their era.

The industry has not used banana stencils since the 1980s, and sadly most of these growers are no longer with us. However, many locals still recall helping in packing sheds as children and teenagers when they were in use. As a result, a strong nostalgic connection to these metal icons remains firmly entrenched in the local psyche. For example, when he was 15, Jeff Eggins (banana grower, President of The Coffs Harbour & District Banana Growers Association) recalls leaving school and the farm and picking cherries down in Young. He saw some old wooden crates lying around and checked the stencils. He recognised them as some of the Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga Growers. He remembers the nostalgic feeling of seeing these reminders of home.

The value of originality, materiality, and authenticity evokes nostalgia, collecting, and personal identity through objects. Interviewing growers, I was struck by the genuine excitement when they saw photographs of the stencils; all had stories to tell and recognised the names. Jeff Eggins enthusiastically echoed the common sentiment, 'seeing the old stencils brings back memories of the past, and I am of the younger generation of growers. Imagine how the older retired growers would feel [to see the stencils].'

[Written by Gabrielle Brabander, 30 March 2022]

Metal stencil used to label boxes for the horticulture industry, especially bananas and tomatoes. They often note the grower and their location, and the wholesaler at the city market. This stencil reads: Shirlan Treated, J. P. Ladd, Boambee, R. N. Mooney, 00, Perth.