Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers

A Regional Practice

Albury hosted a regional practice on 18 April 2026. We welcomed ringers from Beechworth, Wangaratta, Wagga Wagga and Neil from Melbourne who was passing through on his way home from Sydney.

Le-Vene Horne

25 Years of Ringing at Albury

St Matthew's bells were rung for the first time on Christmas morning 1990. The project, driven by Ron Shepherd, was still rather unfinished; there was no ceiling to the Ringing Chamber, and we all wore earmuffs!

The Band on Christmas Day 1990: Jim Jefferies and Ron Shepherd are on the left hand side.

In 1990, the bells were a ring of six and rung from the ground floor. In 1991, there church was destroyed by a fire, but the tower survived with only one slightly scorched sally! When the dust settled, the bells continued to be rung and services were held in the, now demolished, Parish Centre at the rear of the church. Ringing during this time was reminiscent of ringing in a World War 2 bomb site in England.

In 1992, the bells were taken down and returned to Whitechapel and amalgamated with two new trebles, and a Bourdon Bell, the old tenor from St John's Glastonbury in Somerset, a bell that I had rung there in 1981 was added. This bell is now known as John of Glastonbury, and rings the Angelus three times each day, and is rung during the Eucharist.

The bells, including John of Glastonbury, were mounted in the frame and the whole frame was lifted over, and lowered into the tower, one week day lunch time, in front of a large gathering of spectators. The tower, which had been extended, then had the entire new spire lifted into place and secured. The new Ringing Chamber is located where the old ring sat, and as the church was still being rebuilt, access to the tower was by ladder and scaffolding. This proved to be a daunting prospect for some visiting ringers! I’m not sure that in this day and age, the OH & S people would have approved access!

The bells have continued to be rung every Sunday, with only an occasional miss on Practice nights, usually in very hot weather.

At the Festival of Carols, Lessons and Readings on Sunday, 13 December 2015, the Federal Minister for Health, and Minister for Sport, our local Member, The Hon. Sussan Ley, who had graciously accepted our invitation to become the Patron of the Bell ringers, was presented with a Certificate and a St Matthew’s Ringer's Shirt by Pam Thorman, our Tower Captain, and an old Bell Rope by Jim Jefferies, Ringing Master. Before the start of this service, video images of the ringers were streamed into the church, and at the start of the presentation, a recording of the bells was played. Our Patron promised to hang the Bell Rope and her Certificate in her Albury Office, which is directly across the Street from the Belfry. Sussan is our second Patron, our first was the Late Ian Glachan MP for the NSW Seat of Albury. Ian was persuaded to learn to ring by his wife Helen, who was then ringing at St Matthew's.

The Hon Sussan Ley, Minister for Health, at her presentation as Patron of St Matthew's Ringers, 13 December 2015.

That service, which lasted a hot 2 hours, was one of the most exotic that we ever attended; we had readings by a wide variety of religious types, Roman, a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist, Hindu dancing by Bhutanese refugees, radio presenter, newspaper journalist, as well as both state and federal MPs. The choir are as good as any in Australia. The Muslim brought the house down when after his introduction by the Rector (himself rather exotic in his cope and biretta) when he replied 'No Worries' just like any Aussie, which of course he is! No integration issues there, and after the service, the Jewish chap, who flew down from Sydney for the service, and one of the Muslims, were seen to embrace.

We are planning a Birthday Party for the bells on the first weekend in February, 2016 which will include a barbeque and a quarter peal or two.

Jim Jefferies, Ringing Master