Banner of The Juvenile Foresters Court New England No 6515 Uralla is probably the only one of its kind in Australia – an extremely rare example.
The Banner is a double-sided hand painted silk banner dating from between 1849 and 1898 made by George Tutill of London. It features a biblical theme on one side and “historic” Foresters on the reverse. The exhibit features The Banner, Ceremonial Bows and the Poles and were discovered in 1986 under a house in Uralla. They had been stored there for fifty years and discovered by the Mailfert family, still rolled in its original timber box, under the verandah of the a house.
Henry Goddard of Uralla is considered the founding father of the Ancient Order of Foresters in the New England and was first established in Australia in 1834. Friendly Society ‘Courts’ were formed by their members under various names and were located in cities, towns and even the most isolated areas of Australia. The members of these Courts were bound together by a code of ethics and as such were recognised individually as people of good character. Friendly Society Courts were often the focal point of most social activities in their area and they established the foundation of our current welfare and social security system. They provided financial and social benefits as well as support to members and their families in times of unemployment, sickness, death, disability and old age.
Trove – Sydney Mail, 09 September 1880.
