Historic Bells
Age - Saturday 2 April 1932, page 7
HISTORIC BELLS.BY C.S. '
There are many bells in Australia which abound in historical associations. Ships' bells, church bells, fire bells, often could tell interesting stories if their "tongues" could speak. What becomes of old bells ? ' They never die but tlicy melt aivay ! Some years ago, when the lightship Bramble was doing duty at Sydney Heads, it carried a boll that, for more than 100 Yrs had been proclaiming the passing hours .".board some ship or other. This hell originally was part of the equipment of a convict ship, so that more Minn a touch of tragedy may be said to belong to its life history. Encircling the top of the outer rim are the words "T. Mcnrs, of London Fleet, N.S.W., 1704," xvliilo immediately beneath is engraven the Government mark— a broad arrow. On xvltich i-,iee,il ii liimi iimpAlliwI Ix/xrn is imt. IftlftUTl.
but little imagination is needed totrnns-fcr it from its recent penceful surroundings at Sydney Heads to tlie scenes of its earlier work. Could it but spenk, xvlint talcu could it not relate of hopeless misery, tragedy, crime and passion ? Then, again, a hell Hint was recently erected at the club house of tlie Kensington (Sydney) bowling club recalls one of tlie most spectacular niul disastrous fires in New South Wales. This fire was at Anthony Hordern's big store on Brickfield Hill, Sydney, 011 10th July, 1001, and the very first job of this bell xx-as to cull the firemen out to tlio fire. It is still in a splendid state of preservation. To come nearer home, we linx-e nt Coxves, Phillip Island, a bell calling people to worship tlint originally belong to a ship tlint xvns wrecked in the vicinity. Tliis was the Spckc, which cainc to grief at Kitty. Miller's . Bny on 22ud February,
ll)0;. sue was 111 uniioac irom rue xvesi eoast of America anil, after making, the coast to Sydney, crashed.' on Phillip Island us stated, but without loss of lifo. The hell (on which tho name of the ship is deeply engraved) is hung bctivccn two posts outside the Presbyterian church, Cowcs, bnt ' attracts little attention, be-ennse its history is not xvidely known. Another historical bell is one Mint calls girl pupils to study at the Presbyterian Girls' College, Gcelong. Tho story goes back — as far ns Victoria is concerned — to 183(1. the year after llntiunii founded Melbourne. From Tasmania cnino two squatters, Stead and L'rowic, who landed nt \Y ilbainstown, bringing sheep and n ship's bull. Driving their flocks to Gcelong the new arrivals established a station, und hung the hell on a port on 11 nearby hill to warn the shepherds against hostile blacks. Tbe men, by tbe xvny, xvas the scvond in A'ictoria to bv settled, and tbe hill later became known as Bell Post Hill. After twenty-Mil ee years' good service the bell in 1859 was sent to Tasmania for repairs. As it xvus then not further required— the whiles and blacks having come to nn understanding — the licit was sent to Gcelong, where it remained unused. In the meantime the Presbyterian Girls' College had acquired the old homestead of Morongo and Boll Post Hill, and tlie joint trustees of the squatters— their sons — generously presented the historic bell to the college; so once again it. hangs in its
old position. May tlie bell continue to do duly as long as tho old homestead, for tho latter, a veritable stronghold of biuestouc, is as soli/1 as tlie day it was built. in Melbourne xvc have, of course, the two bells of the unique "Gog ami Magog" clock in tlie Royal-arcade. Generations of children have gazed in wonderment- at tlie lingo xvooden figures ns the.v strike the hells every quarter of an hour. . This clock, now tlio only one of its Kind in the British Empire, was made -by Gaunt's in 1802, so Mint for forty years the bells lmvc been struck. Then there is the Town Hull clock, and few .people are aware t Lilt it bus striking and
chiming apparatus that lias never been used. Tbe very delicate and valuable musical mechanism xvas not adjusted when tlie clock was installed. It was thrown into a corner, and there it still lies, probably covered witli robxvebs, beneath i lie working plant. Melbourne will soon be celebrating its centenary. Why not instill tb chimes, and set tbem in motion, then J
