Signs around Norfolk

Around Norfolk, you will find some Landmarks or building entrances with some unique decorative entrance gates.

They were made many years ago by Scotty Nagle who did the relief signs in wet concrete.

Mary Christian- Bailey provided these photos of Scotty doing the Fletcher Christian entrance signs.

Mary thinks that the photos may be around 1977. Scotty lived here for many years with his wife Kathleen and they built their home 'Brigadoon' opposite Puppy's point. Mary recalls that he may have been involved in stage construction because he was always on hand to help with concerts, plays and productions, even the school ones and he made some fabulous set designs and scenery.
He also made a large relief picture of the interior of St. Barnabas chapel which hangs behind the bar at the South Pacific resort.

All of the signs around Norfolk are painted in the same sort of colour scheme of Brown background and cream lettering. When I was leaving as manager of Fletcher Christian Apartments back in late July, I wanted to leave the signs with a fresh coat of paint.

When I cleaned and painted the whole sign in a pale wheat colour, I had no intention of anything fancier than a reverse of the traditional colour scheme as the buildings are still he same brown colour and thought cream background and brown lettering would still match all the others, BUT....

With a new blank canvas, the colour scheme seemed to take on a life of its own.

The letters became a cranberry colour complemented by touches in the gardens and within the rooms and the border became a midnight blue colour.

There is an anchor on one of the signs that had just disappeared into the fancy lettering before, but now can stand out on its own with its own colours of a copper and gold mix and dark brown rope.

Teddy came out to help me to as we sat in the late afternoon sun and were encouraged along by passing locals beeping their horns or waving at us.

 

These entrances remind me of some of the signs around Noosa, they were produced by Peter Davies and his company Sandbag of Noosa which was near our place on the sunshine coast. His style really added to Noosa's unique look.

He carved his signs, pots, and ornaments (mostly gecko's, brightly coloured fish or mermaids) out of Hebel and then cast it in concrete,
   

We are fortunate to have been given a sandbag table which we recently brought to Norfolk Island with us, we look forward to many laughs with friends and family around the table this summer.
 
Sadly both Pete"sandbag" Davies and Scotty Nagle have passed away, but both have left wonderful memories of their craft behind.