Australian bellringers work to preserve a centuries-old tradition

Bellringers in central west New South Wales are working to preserve a centuries-old tradition based on mathematics, concentration and community. At All Saints Cathedral in Bathurst, six people pull numbered ropes attached to brass bells and wooden wheels. The practice, known as change ringing, uses combinations called methods rather than conventional musical notes.

The tradition began in England in the 1600s. Bellringing groups are known as bands and include roles such as ring master, steeple keeper and tower captain. Bathurst ringing master Oriana Zanon described the activity as a close community that can appear secretive to outsiders.

She said learning the technique was difficult and could take weeks to master the movements required for two strokes. The highest achievement is a peal, a continuous performance lasting several hours. It requires physical and mental endurance, and many attempts fail.

Later this year, Zanon plans to join ringers from central-west New South Wales and Sydney for a peal in honour of 98-year-old Bathurst ringer Chris Bacon. Bacon began ringing in his seventies and is described in the supplied material as the world’s oldest bellringer. He said he was attracted by the companionship among ringers.

Nearby Orange is home to Jim Woolford, a tower captain and experienced ringer who has participated in thousands of peals. He trains local participants through regular practices and one-to-one sessions using a simulator in the bell tower. Woolford said the future of the tradition depended on preparing younger ringers to become teachers.

Some towers around the world no longer ring because they lack instructors and experienced members. Bathurst steeple keeper Richard Hurford is a fourth-generation ringer. He said the tradition connects him to his family and that his son had begun ringing.

The groups say the practice offers friendships across countries while keeping historic bell towers active.