Bing Bang Ring – Cash is King! at Dungog Museum
Artist Helene Leane draws inspiration from Dungog Museum's ornate National Cash Register in her exhibition "Bing Bang Ring. Cash is King!" Her vibrant interpretation of this historical artifact offers a contemporary perspective on the museum's collection, creating a dialogue between past and present.
Part of Arts Upper Hunter’s This Here Then Now project, a Creative Valleys initiative, Bing Bang Ring. Cash is King! showcases Helene Leane’s vibrant exploration of mid-20th century consumer culture. At its heart is an ornate National Cash Register from Skillen’s grocery shop (now Dungog Medical Centre), which recorded sales in pounds, shillings, and pence until decimal currency arrived in 1966.
Leane reimagines everyday products once sold at Skillen’s through a Pop Art lens, transforming Bex powders and household staples into bold, colourful tributes to retail nostalgia. Her exhibition also honours Dungog’s commercial heritage, incorporating historic shopfront photos and portraits of past customers.
A rich reflection on small-town commerce, technological change, and community ties, Bing Bang Ring. Cash is King! revives a bygone era—one where each sale was marked by the ringing of a mechanical till.
This project is supported by the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund and the NSW Government.