The banner was found underneath the School of Arts and is thought to have been put there more than 50 years ago.

The banner was stored in a timber box, and also contained the leather straps that would have been used to carry the banner on wooden poles.

On the banner, on one side the emblem of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows Williams River District and on the reverse side a picture and words “Support the Widow and Ophan”.

The lodge of oddfellows was a concepted brought to Australia from England and the groups were the forerunners to the health funds of today.

Dr Bob James, who has completed a PdD on the banners, examined the Stroud find prior to Christmas along with Stroud based historian Dr Johnathon King, members of the Stroud Historial Society and members of the public.

Dr James said members of the society paid money into the order and the money could then be drawn back from the fund to pay for funerals or in times of illness.

“They were the forerunners of private health funds,” he said.

Dr James said there were some 800 lodges in New South Wales in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

He said the Stroud banner was mostly likely painted locally and was probably used when the lodges in the area got together for festival occasions or fundraisers.

Stroud resident Beryl Bowden was among those looking on in interest as the banner was unrolled.

She said while she remembered it being stored at the School of Arts, she had never seen what was on the banner until now.

Cr Karen Hutchinson said the banner has been taken into safe keeping by Great Lakes Council which will look at ensuring the banner can be displayed for as many people as possible to see.

“It represents a wonderful link to a part of Australia’s social history, the Stroud district and the use of the Stroud School of Arts building in particular,” she said.