Signwriter Bj Graham, who has helped reinvigorate Portland, hopes others take up craft

The self-taught signwriter is one of the members of a group known as the WallNuts who are known for painting historic advertisements around the village of Portland, east of Bathurst.

"Signwriting and prostitution are the two oldest industries," Mr Graham said.

"But in more recent years, signwriting has taken a different direction because of the technology."

In 1996, Portland had a number of ghost signs - faded painted advertisements on buildings - when newcomer and experienced signwriter Ron Bidwell saw an opportunity to reinvigorate them and turn them into a tourism attraction.

"Ron realised that he could give the town a second life by coming and restoring or refurbishing the old signs," Mr Graham said.

Mr Bidwell called upon the help of his fellow signwriters from The Letterheads group and they held their first gathering in Portland in 2001, becoming known as The WallNuts.

"During the process of the 2001 gathering, somebody come up and said, 'you would have to be nuts to be hanging off a wall just to do a sign', and the WallNuts wording started," Mr Graham said.

"That was 2001 and we're still going to this date. We've been here in Portland doing it for 22 years."

Mr Bidwell passed away in 2018, but the WallNuts have continued his legacy through the annual "WallNuts weekend" at the end of October and by running a fortnightly store where people can commission signs and art.

"We're making sure his legacy lives on - keep the craft alive is what it's all about, no matter how long it takes," Mr Graham said.

"One of his last lines was 'til the last man standing'.

"I'll carry that through to when I can't do it anymore."

Like most industries, signwriting has adapted to using digital elements and machinery as part of the craft.

"We have digital CNC, which is the use of a machine to engrave and profile cut neon panels for illuminated panels, which means that you have to learn the skill of masking spray and spray-painting," Mr Graham said.

"Involved in all that you would have a hot wire machine, which means you do a lot of polystyrene letter cut-outs and painting."

According to Mr Graham, younger generations haven't shown a lot of interest in signwriting due to its hands-on nature.

"They're really having trouble getting around the fact that it can't be done on a computer," he said.

"If we're talking about having to hand mark out something or make a pounce, or make the right selection of paint for the jobs that you're going to do, whether it be brick or perspex or board or composite panel, that's where their knowledge has gone."

Mr Graham said he is concerned about the lack of interest.

"Industry will not be able to survive without the sign industry; whether it be traditional brush or, in modern times, digital, it will always need to be there," he said.

"You've only got to think of some of the simple things. If you didn't have signs, you wouldn't be able to catch a bus or train or taxi. If you didn't have signs, you wouldn't be pointed in the right direction for streets."

According to Mr Graham, signwriting might attract new interest through murals and silo art.

"This would be an area that a young person that was interested in becoming a signwriter can start, because a lot of it means that it's all about brush technique and the right type of paint to use on the right site," he said.

"This would give them a break and an introduction to something that could be the future."

And if younger generations don't show an interest in signwriting?

The signs in Portland might fade away again, according to Mr Graham.

"That's now my biggest concern. I've retired this year. And I believe that if it's possible, I might get to the age of 80 and still be able to do some forms of signwriting to keep it alive," he said.

"But the next 10-year cycle is where we want other people to step up and say they are interested.

"I'm dedicating what I've got left of my life to Biddy [Ron Bidwell] and his legacy."

Certificate Three in Signs and Graphics is being offered through various institutions in Australia, including TAFE NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria University.

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