Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers

What are ANZAB 12 Bell Weekends?

Jim Woolford began organising 12 bell ringing weekends in 2016. The organising is now done by a committee chaired by Phil Goodyer with representatives from each branch. Initial committee activities will be:

• organising future 12-bell weekends
• seeking ringers from each branch to join the committee
• administering the available subsidies

The weekends are open to all 12 bell (and aspiring 12 bell) ringers in ANZAB territory. There is the opportunity to apply for financial assistance with accomodation as listed below. Students are also encouraged to email , or call him on +61 (0) 417 823 297 if they need help facilitating travel. Additionally, there is an existing process which may be used by individual ringers seeking a one-off grant (see here).

We expect that anyone attending would be able to ring Grandsire Cinques, however most of the ringing will be Stedman Cinques and Surprise Maximus. This is a big jump for some people, but if we can encourage more people to try out ringing on higher numbers then it will help bring up quality of ringing in ANZAB – not just for those who ring at these weekends but also for those who ring with these ringers.

Phil Goodyer

Subsidised Accomodation

Apply for the following subsidised group accomodation by reading the information below and emailing

Sydney CBD 7 & 8 October 2022

• $50 per person per night ($20 for students)
• Apply by 7 August 2022

Wellington 7, 8 & 9 April 2023

• $0 (yes, free) per person per night
• Apply by 7 October 2022

In adminisitering subsidies, preference will be given to those travelling furthest, students & earliest responses. If you prefer not to take a subsidy, please register now anyway (particularly for Wellington) and mention this in your reply.

• Subsidies are available for up to 12 ringers who register from outside the weekend venue
• All rooms are twin share.
• Additional accommodation may be available, (but is not guaranteed) beyond the first 12 and will be at a higher cost.
• You must be a member of ANZAB and ringing on 12 over the weekend.
• As a guide, you should have rung a QP of Stedman Triples or Surprise Major on a working bell to benefit from the 12-Bell weekends.
• The aim of the subsidies is to encourage ringers to attend, but also to ensure the weekends are viable. If 12 ringers have not registered for Wellington by 07/10/2022 an alternative venue will be arranged.

July 2022

ANZAB 12 Bell Weekend, Brisbane, 18-20 March 2022 - Report

At last we could travel and come together for a 12-bell weekend in Brisbane, postponed from its original date in 2020. We had six QLD ringers, 2 from SA, 2 from VIC, 12 from NSW and 1 from ACT who came together to extend and strengthen 12-bell ringing in ANZAB. Hopefully next time we'll have some from WA, TAS and NZ. There were an extra five QLD ringers who joined us for the Friday evening.

There were two successful quarter peals on 12, and a bonus one on 10. There were lots of good quality ringers to ring with, and an amazing 15 hours of programmed ringing time. The Brisbane bells are a light twelve which gave good flexibility for people to ring around the back, and allowed some people to still be enthusiastically trying various combinations of bells at the end of Sunday when many others had retired.

The Orion Surprise Maximus Band (1-12, L-R): Kellie Hajek, Philip Goodyer, James Perrins, Peter Harrison, Bill Perrins,Thomas Perrins (C), Hugh Carwardine, Claire O'Mahony, Hadden Arrowsmith, Murray-Luke Peard, Ian McCulloch, Matthew Ball

My personal highlights were ringing a course of Erin Cinques and calling a bob course of Grandsire Cinques. I was delighted to be part of several touches of Stedman Cinques, to feel more confident on Cambridge and Yorkshire Royal and Maximus than previously, and to get the chance to try a lead of Orion Maximus and a few leads of Bristol Maximus. I particularly enjoy seeing other ringers developing. In this case, local ringer Kenneth who I recall as trying plain hunt last time I rang with him, but who is now ringing Surprise Major with confidence. 

I took the opportunity to visit Maryborough and Bundaberg prior to the weekend where I experienced their generous hospitality and enjoyed ringing with the local bands. We tried touches of Grandsire Doubles in Maryborough and rang variations of Plain Hunt in Bundaberg. I have been reminded of the pleasure of travel and the good fellowship that exists within the bellringing community.

Follow these links to the BellBoard records for quarter-peals rung during the weekend - Grandsire Cinques - Grandsire Caters - Orion Surprise Maximus.

Deryn Griffiths

The reports above are those published on this website. Reports of these and other ANZAB 12 Bell Weekends may be found in Ringing Towers.