WELCOME
The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers was formed in 1962 to promote the art of change ringing in our two countries. There are currently around 350 members who ring at more than 70 bell towers throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Non-ringers might like this introduction to bellringing.
Ringers and potential ringers can contact our association's office bearers or local towers and ringers.
NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Updated: 16 November, 2024
ASCY Master's Challenge and Dinner in Sydney 
All Australian ringers (ASCY members or not) are invited to take part in "The Master's Challenge" and to attend the ASCY Oz25 Tour Dinner on 2 March 2025 in Sydney. Both are part of an Australia ringing tour by Ancient Society of College Youths.
The Master's Challenge is intended to be a "no-pressure", "good-fun" ringing event with four mixed teams of up to 14. There will be four "challenges" - on 6, 8, 10 and 12 bells - with everyone ringing at least 3 times. Ringing will be at Sydney City towers.
The Tour Dinner is at L'Aqua restaurant, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour, Sydney. Tickets are $130 a head. All local ringers and partners/friends are invited to attend.
See the full invitation including how to register here. Registrations close on 16 February 2025.
Phil Goodyer
November 2024
Online Lectures
Resources
YouTube recordings of theory classes held over Zoom during COVID restrictions.
Raising and Lowering in Peal
Treble Bob Hunting
Cambridge Surprise Minor
Scientific Triples
Reading touches in the RW Diary
Calling Touches
Calling Grandsire Triples
Conducting Stedman Triples
Belfry Maintenance
Recruiting
Running a Practice
Better Striking
During 2021, when ringing was either prohibited or severely limited due to COVID lockdowns, the NSW and ACT Branch explored video conferencing as a way to maintain connection and provide education. The Branch hosted a series of online lectures covering a broad range of topics - from call changes and Plain Hunt through to conducting Grandsire Triples.
The sessions were recorded and uploaded to YouTube, where they've since proved valuable as teaching resources. They're now available to the wider ANZAB community on the Branch's YouTube channel at the NSW and ACT Branch of ANZAB. See the link to the left with the list of topics. This may be found at any time on the NSW and ACT Training page of the ANZAB website.
Many thanks to all the presenters who gave their time and shared their expertise through these talks.
Richard Webster
November 2024
Wellington Ringing Festival 25-28 October 2024
I attended the 19th Wellington Ringing Festival in a bid to learn and practice more advanced methods that I otherwise couldn't at my local tower.
Over the weekend, I was able to try several Surprise Major as well as general 10 bell methods - some I've never even heard of before!
I was able to ring everything I wanted to practice and more. Thanks for the fantastic weekend Derek!
I'm thankful for the ANZAB subsidy making this event more accessible for people wanting to improve and blossom as a ringer. I can happily say I'll be back next year!
Christian Westrip
2024 Sydney Ringing School - A Participant's Perspective
For me, the Sydney Ringing School started at St Mary's Cathedral. The first challenge was the 100 steps up the tower, followed by a short traverse across the roof (with marvellous views of Sydney Harbour) before entering the ringing chamber. Compared with our tiny tower in Darwin, the ringing chamber is enormous, with plenty of seating and running water! After ringing, we headed up to have a look at the very impressive bells and then we headed off to the pub to join the other group of ringers for dinner.
We worked a lot on Plain Hunt over the weekend, focusing on exercises to improve our rope sight and timing and we all made significant progress.
The weekend was of enormous benefit to us. We left Sydney with our brains buzzing and felt like we had crammed a year's worth of learning into a long weekend! We have a number of new exercises and ideas to share with our tower back in Darwin.
It was wonderful to meet other regionally based ringers and hear their ringing journeys. Ringing at a wide range of different towers was also a novel experience for some of us new ringers and a good way to develop our skills.
A longer report and more and photos are available here.
Jo Cruickshank
St Mary's Star of the Sea, Darwin.
ANZAB CPR Training and First Aid Assistance
ANZAB offers funding to all towers for ringers to train in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid, to a maximum of two ANZAB members per tower. Each tower is also being offered a free poster providing details of CPR.
Read more about the Assistance scheme, and how to apply, by following this link.
in brief
Updated: 19 November 2024
There are no in brief items
anzab diary
Updated: 14 November, 2024
2024
22-24 November
Armidale 28th Anniversary Weekend
Contact:
24 November
Sydney. Intermediate Ringing Course
Christ Church St Laurence
Contact:
or
15 December
Melbourne. 10-bell practice
St Paul's Cathedral
Contact:
2025
23 February
Adelaide. ASCY-ANZAB BBQ.
Contact:
27 February - 2 March
Oamaru. Two Island Cluster Event.
Contact:
news archive
latest first
2024
ASCY Master's Challenge and Dinner Invitation - 14 November
Online Lectures - 5 November
Wellington Ringing Festival - 29 October
Sydney Ringing School - A Participant's Perspective - 26 October
Sydney 12-Bell Weekend - 20 October
Hoskins Day Ringing 2024 - 17 October
Goulburn Extension - 11 October
Sydney Ringing School Interim Report - 7 October
Ringing Towers
Latest issue:
vol.78, no.4, Spring 2024
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Deadline for next issue:
31 December 2024.
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Daylight Saving Time (DST)
New Zealand and Australia
New Zealand: DST commenced on 29 September 2024 (UTC +13 hours) and will cease on 6 April 2025 (UTC +12 hours).
New South Wales, A.C.T., Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia: DST commenced on 6 October 2024 (UTC +11 hours, South Australia UTC +10.5 hours) and will cease on 6 April 2025 (UTC +10 hours, South Australia UTC +9.5 hours).
Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory: No DST.