Photo of bellringers in action

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.


Updated: 20 October, 2024

vale Diana Bleby

Diana Bleby

We're sorry to inform you that Diana Bleby died suddenly on Wednesday, 16th October 2024. The news has shocked the Adelaide Ringers. Our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time.

Diana was the Editor of Ringing Towers, 1999-2000. She rang the tenor to the first ladies' quarter-peal on the 41cwt bells of St Peter's, Adelaide in 1989.

Funeral details will be announced later.

Peter Harrison

Sydney 12-Bell Weekendnew

Over 30 ringers took part in the annual ANZAB Sydney 12-Bell Weekend, 11-13 October.

clapper and slider

The weekend commenced with 10 bell ringing at Christ Church St Laurence on Friday afternoon including a quarter peal of Grandsire Caters - a first of Caters for Inga Griffiths-Hunt, Patrick Meyer and Luka Sostarko. Inga and Patrick were the recipiants of this year's Young Ringers Scholarships and it was great to see them (and other young ringers) making the most of the opportunities.

Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday saw 10 and 12 bell ringing at St Mary's and St Andrew's Cathedrals, and an excellent workshop: "Stedman Cinques - calling positions, touches and peals, course ends and what to look out for when conducting" led by Thomas Perrins.

Both Inga and Patrick conducted 10-bell quarter peals (see here and here), and Luka rang Cambridge Maximus very capably. The weekend finished ten minutes early in a spectacular manner when the clapper of the 11th at St Andrew's broke.

See a more detailed report, including on the pre-weekend ringing at Goulburn, here.

Put next year's 12-Bell weekends in your diary (June in Adelaide and October in Sydney). If you're under 30, consider applying for a Young Ringers Scholarship of $500 towards travel and accommodation costs for next October's weekend. All ANZAB members can apply for subsidised accommodation for the weekends.

Phil Goodyer

Hoskins Day Ringing 2024 new

Band
The Saturday band: Greg, Catherine, Tony, Marianne, Alan and Hannah

For Hoskins Day this year we rang before and after the 11am service, joined the lunch provided by the church and then rang a quarter peal. The day before was a Parish open day to celebrate 100 years of the Parish Centre. We were asked to ring for that and six of us rang for an hour from 10am - and we might have a new recruit from the people who came to watch and listen.

For the quarter peal, local ringers, Hannah Musgrove and Tony Pipe, were joined by four ringers from Turramurra in Sydney, including Jeff Price who conducted the mixed doubles. One method Hannah had never rung and one she had rung only a few plain courses 35 years ago! It was Tony's first quarter covering for doubles.

It is 25 years since the first ringing of the bells, which also involved a quarter peal that Hannah rang in.

Thanks to Elaine, Colin, Stephen and Jeff from Turramurra for joining other locals on the Sunday, and Marianne from Katoomba for joining us on the Saturday.

Hannah Musgrave
17 October 2024

2024 Sydney Ringing School Interim Report

Ten ringers around about the plain hunt standard turned up to get helped at the Sydney Ringing School this weekend. Five were from country NSW, three from Darwin, and two from Sydney. About 20 ringers including some from Goulburn and Melbourne stepped forward as helpers. We had fun, we saw good progress and enjoyed meeting new ringers and old friends. In addition to hosting the weekend, the NSW-ACT branch of ANZAB put together a box of ringing books as a gift to St Mary's Star of the Sea Darwin.

Ringing School participants at Naremburn
The last ones standing!
The final session at Naremburn on Monday, 7th October.

See more photos here.

Deryn Griffiths

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.

see other performance links on the
Peals & Quarters page

Updated: 15 October 2024

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Updated: 20 October, 2024

2024

25-28 October
Wellington. Wellington Ringing Festival
Register here
Contact:

22-24 November
Armidale 28th Anniversary Weekend
Contact:

Facebook - follow ANZAB on Facebook

email - looktoanzab

latest first

2024

Latest issue:
vol.78, no.4, Spring 2024

Ringing Towers cover

Download the electronic version

Download the print version

Deadline for next issue:
31 December 2024.
Early submissions appreciated,
and essential for longer articles.

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.