This table lists the 88 heaviest bells in Australia, and is based on research by Chris Pickford. It supplements an article by Chris, entitled "Australia's Heaviest", which appeared in Ringing Towers, volume 62, number 2, June 2008. The article may be downloaded from this link.
Updated 28 May 2020, to include new heaviest and 3rd heaviest bells, and to re-number the bells of the National Carillon. Based on information supplied by Andrew Reynolds.
Change ringing bells are indicated in bold font and 'lost' bells in subdued italic font.
c-q-l = hundredweights-quarters-pounds.
| No. | Bell | Founder | Date | c-q-l | Kg | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perth, The Bell Tower - ANZAC Bell | VEEM Ltd | 2018 | 127-2-5 | 6480 | Formally called the Great ANZAC Bell. Cast to Whitechapel design. |
| 2 | Canberra, National Carillon - bass bell | Taylor | 1969 | 120-1-00 | 6109 | |
| 3 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.2 bell | Taylor | 2019 | 99-3-16 | 5075 | Formally called the Ngunnawal Bell |
| 4 | Sydney Post Office - hour bell | Taylor | 1890 | 98-0-00 | 4979 | |
| 5 | Sydney University carillon - bass bell | Taylor | 1928 | 84-1-10 | 4285 | |
| 6 | Brisbane Town Hall - hour bell | Taylor | 1928 | 82-0-15 | 4173 | |
| 7 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.3 bell | Taylor | 1969 | 79-3-15 | 4058 | |
| 8 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.4 bell | Taylor | 1969 | 67-0-19 | 3412 | |
| 9 | Sydney University carillon - no.2 | Taylor | 1928 | 66-2-20 | 3387 | |
| 10 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.5 bell | Taylor | 1969 | 61-1-00 | 3112 | |
| 11 | Sydney University carillon - no.3 | Taylor | 1928 | 60-0-22 | 3058 | |
| 12 | Sydney University carillon - no.4 | Taylor | 1928 | 48-2-19 | 2473 | |
| 13 | Adelaide Post Office - hour bell | Taylor | 1874 | 48-2-00 | 2464 | |
| 14 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.6 bell | Taylor | 1969 | 45-2-26 | 2323 | |
| 15 | Maitland, St.Mary - hour bell | Taylor | 1880 | 44-2-11 | 2266 | Originally cast for Sydney Cathedral, but later sent to Maitland in 1885 |
| 16 | Lismore, St.Carthage's Cathedral (R.C.) - Bass bell | O'Byrne | 1908 | 42-1-12 | 2152 | Hung stationary |
| 17 | Rockhampton, St.Joseph's Cathedral (R.C) - bell | O'Byrne | 1904 | 42-0-00 | 2134 | Approximate weight. Hung in freestanding tower |
| 18 | Adelaide, St.Peter's Cathedral - tenor | Taylor | 1946 | 41-1-00 | 2096 | |
| 19 | Sydney University carillon - no.5 | Taylor | 1928 | 41-0-12 | 2088 | |
| 20 | Launceston Post Office - hour bell | Gillett & Johnston | 1909 | 40-0-06 | 2035 | Records unclear - weight may be 39-0-06 (1984 kg) |
| 21 | Adelaide, St.Francis Xavier Cathedral (R.C.) - bourdon | Murphy | 1867 | 38-3-07 | 1972 | Hung for swinging. Hervey Bagot estimates 2450kg or 48¼ cwt - personal communication Feb 2008 |
| 22 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.7 bell | Taylor | 1969 | 38-0-27 | 1943 | |
| 23 | Brisbane, St.Stephen's Cathedral (R.C.) - bell | Mears & Stainbank | 1887 | 35-1-27 | 1803 | Originally supplied with clapper only (no ringing / swinging fittings) |
| 24 | Sydney University carillon - no.6 | Taylor | 1928 | 34-3-17 | 1773 | |
| 25 | Sydney, St.Mary's Cathedral (R.C.) - tenor | Whitechapel | 1985 | 34-1-03 | 1741 | |
| 26 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.8 bell | Taylor | 1969 | 32-2-17 | 1659 | |
| 27 | Melbourne, Post Office - hour bell | John C. Wilson & Co | 1870 | 32-1-03 | 1640 | |
| 28 | Braidwood, St.Bede (RC) - bell | unknown | 1862 | 32-0-00 | 1626 | Approximate weight 32 cwt (Keating p.124). This might be the Mears bell (25 cwt) supplied to Burns & Lambert, Sydney, in 1862 |
| -- | Sydney, St.Mary's Cathedral (R.C.) - former tenor | Thomas Mears II | 1843 | 31-3-12 | 1618 | Replaced 1881 |
| 29 | Sydney University carillon - no.7 | Taylor | 1928 | 30-3-13 | 1568 | |
| 30 | Bathurst Soldiers' Memorial carillon - bass bell | Taylor | 1929 | 30-3-08 | 1566 | |
| 31 | Sydney Post Office - 4th quarter | Taylor | 1890 | 30-0-14 | 1530 | |
| 32 | Sydney Town Hall - hour bell | Gillett & Co | 1884 | 30-0-14 | 1530 | Confusion re location - Taylor bell (1876) also noted here |
| 33 | Toowoomba, St.Patrick (R.C.) - bell | O'Byrne | 1933 | 30-0-00 | 1524 | Approximate weight |
| 34 | East Camberwell - bell | O'Byrne | 1957 | 30-0-00 | 1524 | Approximate weight |
| 35 | South Melbourne Town Hall | James Thompson | 1880 | 30-0-00 | 1524 | Approximate weight. Cast at the Langlands foundry, Melbourne |
| 36 | Goulburn, House of the Ascension - bell (now at Canberra) | Taylor | 1936 | 29-3-25 | 1523 | Moved to North Goulburn in 1964, and since to Crafters (North Adelaide) and now (2007-8) at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture |
| 37 | Hobart Post Office - hour bell | Taylor | 1906 | 29-3-22 | 1521 | |
| 38 | Collingwood Town Hall - clock bell | Mears & Stainbank | 1890 | 29-3-21 | 1521 | |
| 39 | Melbourne, St.Paul's Cathedral - tenor | Mears & Stainbank | 1889 | 29-1-12 | 1491 | Originally 31-1-00 (1588 kg) before retuning in 1963 |
| 40 | Maitland, St.Mary - 4th quarter bell | Taylor | 1885 | 29-0-23 | 1484 | Local sources give 24-3-19 (but JT & Co records show 29-0-23) |
| 41 | Perth, The Bell Tower - tenor | Abraham Rudhall II | 1726 | 29-0-14 | 1480 | Was 30-1-20 (1546 kg) when retuned for St.Martin-in-the-Fields in 1922 |
| 42 | Sydney, St.Andrew's Cathedral - tenor | Taylor | 1964 | 29-0-04 | 1475 | Given in error as 29-1-04 for some years, until corrected |
| -- | Lismore Diocese [location uncertain] - bell | O'Byrne | 1909 | 29-0-00 | 1473 | Approximate weight. From catalogue - may refer to no 11 at St.Carthage's |
| 43 | Lismore, St.Carthage's Cathedral (R.C.) - 11th | O'Byrne | 1908 | 28-2-03 | 1449 | Hung for swinging |
| 44 | Adelaide, St.Francis Xavier Cathedral (R.C.) - tenor | Whitechapel | 1992 | 28-2-01 | 1448 | |
| 45 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.9 bell | Taylor | 1969 | 27-3-21 | 1419 | |
| 46 | Adelaide, St.Peter's Cathedral - 7th | Taylor | 1946 | 27-1-21 | 1394 | |
| 47 | Brisbane Town Hall - 4th quarter bell | Taylor | 1928 | 26-0-01 | 1321 | |
| 48 | Melbourne, Chalmers Free Church | John C. Wilson | 1855 | 25-3-04 | 1310 | Unsure whether still extant or not |
| -- | Sydney, St.Mary's Cathedral (R.C.) - former tenor | Mears & Stainbank | 1881 | 25-2-16 | 1303 | Replaced by a new bell in 1899 |
| 49 | Sydney, Burns & Lambert - bell | G. Mears & Co | 1864 | 25-2-16 | 1303 | Destination unknown |
| 50 | Tarrington, St.Michael - No.3 bell | Schilling & Lattermann | 1927 | 25-2-00 | 1295 | Approximate weight "approaching two tons" (Keating p.109) but Hervey Bagot estimates 1300kg (25-2-10). Steel bell |
| 51 | Hotham Town Hall (North Melbourne) - hour bell | John C. Wilson & Co | 1877 | 25-1-08 | 1286 | |
| 52 | Sydney Town Hall - Hour bell | Taylor | 1876 | 25-0-02 | 1271 | Possible confusion re location (Gillett chime of 1884 also noted here) |
| 53 | Sydney, Burns & Lambert - bell | G. Mears & Co | 1862 | 25-0-00 | 1270 | Destination unknown - possibly St.Bede's, Braidwood. Approximate weight |
| 54 | Adelaide Post Office - 4th quarter bell | Taylor | 1874 | 24-3-19 | 1266 | |
| -- | Sydney, St.Andrew's Cathedral - former bell | Taylor | 1891 | 24-3-16 | 1265 | Scrapped in 1983 |
| 55 | Sydney, St.Mary's Cathedral (R.C.) - service bell | Mears & Stainbank | 1899 | 24-3-11 | 1262 | Old tenor 1899-1985 - now hung as a service bell |
| 56 | Sydney University carillon - no.8 | Taylor | 1928 | 24-3-10 | 1262 | |
| 57 | Sydney, St.Mary's Cathedral (R.C.) - 11th | Whitechapel | 1985 | 24-2-08 | 1248 | |
| 58 | Albury - bourdon | Taylor | 1877 | 24-0-06 | 1222 | Originally 25-3-05 (1310 kg) when at St.John's, Glastonbury |
| -- | Sydney, St.Mary's Cathedral (R.C.) - former 7th | Thomas Mears II | 1843 | 23-2-23 | 1204 | Replaced 1881 |
| 59 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.10 bell | Taylor | 1969 | 23-2-01 | 1194 | |
| 60 | Sydney, St.George - bell | John C. Wilson | 1858 | 23-2-00 | 1143 | Exact weight. Unsure whether still extant or not |
| 61 | Lismore, St.Carthage's Cathedral (R.C.) - 10th | O'Byrne | 1908 | 22-1-10 | 1135 | |
| 62 | Ballarat Town Hall - tenor | Mears & Stainbank | 1869 | 22-0-11 | 1122 | Originally 22-3-21 (1165 kg) before retuning in 1981 |
| 63 | Bond University - bass bell | Eijsbouts | 1989 | 21-3-16 | 1112 | Exact weight (from Royal Eijsbouts) - major thirds bells |
| 64 | Goulburn, St.Saviour's Cathedral - tenor | Taylor | 1872 | 21-3-03 | 1106 | Originally 22-3-24 (1167 kg) when at St.Mark's, Leicester |
| 65 | Hobart, St.David's Cathedral - tenor | Taylor | 1911 | 21-2-08 | 1096 | Originally 22-2-05 (1145 kg) when at St.John's, Eastbourne |
| 66 | Melbourne, St.Paul's Cathedral - 11th | Mears & Stainbank | 1889 | 21-2-06 | 1095 | Originally 22-2-16 (1150 kg) before retuning in 1963 |
| 67 | Sydney, St.Andrew's Cathedral - 11th | Taylor | 1964 | 21-1-23 | 1090 | |
| 68 | Perth, The Bell Tower - 15th | Abraham Rudhall II | 1725 | 21-1-19 | 1088 | Was 23-0-00 (1168kg) when retuned for St.Martin-in-the-Fields in 1922 |
| 69 | Maryborough - tenor | Mears & Stainbank | 1887 | 21-0-04 | 1069 | |
| 70 | Thebarton R.C. Church - bell | O'Byrne | 1920 | 21-0-00 | 1067 | Approximate weight. Cast in 1919. Hervey Bagot says 1100kg (21-2-17) |
| 71 | Sydney Town Hall - 4th quarter bell | Gillett & Co | 1884 | 20-3-10 | 1059 | |
| -- | Bendigo (aka Sandhurst) - former tenor | Mears & Stainbank | 1872 | 20-3-09 | 1058 | Replaced by lighter ring in 1964 |
| 72 | Adelaide, St.Peter's Cathedral - 6th | Taylor | 1946 | 20-2-23 | 1052 | |
| 73 | Bendigo, Sacred Heart (RC) - bass bell | Paccard | 2001 | 20-2-00 | 1041 | Approximate weight 1050kg (20-2-18) |
| 74 | Melbourne, Post Office - no.11 bell | John C. Wilson & Co | 1888 | 20-1-22 | 1039 | |
| 75 | Bathurst Soldiers' Memorial carillon - no.2 | Taylor | 1929 | 20-0-23 | 1026 | |
| 76 | Sydney University carillon - no.9 | Taylor | 1928 | 20-0-16 | 1023 | |
| 77 | Richmond Town Hall - Hour bell | John Horwood | 1879 | 20-0-00 | 1016 | Cast at Castlemaine. Weight "just over a ton" (Keating) |
| 78 | Darwin, St.Mary's Cathedral (RC) - no.4 bell | Carl Czudnowsky | 1962 | 20-0-00 | 1016 | German bell. Approximate weight |
| 79 | Waverley, Immaculate Conception | Taylor | 1930 | 19-3-20 | 1012 | |
| 80 | Lismore, St.Carthage's Cathedral (R.C.) - 9th | O'Byrne | 1908 | 19-3-10 | 1008 | |
| 81 | Canberra, National Carillon - no.11 bell | Taylor | 1969 | 18-3-21 | 962 | |
| 82 | Sydney, St.Philip - tenor | C. & G. Mears | 1858 | 18-2-21 | 949 | Originally 20-1-12 (1034 kg) before retuning in 1977 |
| 83 | Lewisham, St.Thomas - bell | Taylor | 1933 | 18-2-00 | 940 | Exact weight |
| 84 | Strathfield, St. Anne - Bell | Taylor | 1948 | 18-1-09 | 931 | |
| 85 | Mudgee - Bell | Naylor Vickers | 1881 | 18-0-00 | 914 | Approximate weight. Steel bell (50" diameter) |
| 86 | Hamilton, Sacred Heart - bell | Taylor | 1930 | 17-3-09 | 906 | |
| 87 | Sydney, St.Mary's Cathedral (R.C.) - 10th | Whitechapel | 1985 | 17-3-00 | 902 | |
| 88 | Adelaide, St.Francis Xavier Cathedral (R.C.) - 11th | Mears & Stainbank | 1881 | 17-0-15 | 870 | Was 7th at St.Mary's (R.C.), Sydney, until 1985 - originally 18-3-20 (962 kg) |
Image
© Andrew Treloar
2006.