Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers

Learn to Ring in 2026

We are planning a learn to ring course in February 2026. See the flyer here (jpg) or here (pdf). Register here.

Learn to Ring - Course run July 2025

We ran an intensive course of ten lessons over two weeks for two new recruits who responded to this flyer which was posted in shops, libraries and on facebook.

Open Day 2024 Report

Mary Heyes, Sharon Nicholls with three generations of the Cooper family

On the day we had about 50 visitors which kept us busy from 1pm to 4:30 pm.

The ringers downstairs talked to visitors, sharing cups of tea and home-made bell-shaped biscuits. It was a very friendly atmosphere with wall to wall people at times. People came from far and wide. There were demonstrations on handbells and posters showing the history of the tower.

We had four or five ringers and up to 7 visitors in the tower at a time. We had four bells up at backstroke and four down available for chiming. Most visitors got 15-20 minutes in the tower, with a brief overview, a demonstration of call changes and of plain hunt, and a chance to chime the treble and tenor and to ask questions. They were presented with a "potential bellringer" sticker.

The visitors featured in the photo above were part of a family group of seven. One of the younger ones is at university in Geelong. His grandfather is in Melbourne with the rest of the family in Edenhope in western Victoria. The family were looking at a visit to Geelong and had a particular interest in St Paul's as they are descendents of Rev Astley Cooper, vicar at St Paul's when the bells were installed in 1866. They looked at the church facebook page and selected this weekend for their family get-together to align with our Open Tower. They are photographed with the details of the bells weights and notes.

Open Day 2024 Resources

Flyer taken from CCCBR resources.

The flyer was used on the church facebook page, letter-boxed to neighbours and shared in hard-copy and electronically by Geelong ringers.

A banner was put up outside the church for the week or two prior to the open tower.

Promotional article in the Geelong Advertiser the morning of the Open Tower.

Zoomed in version of the text of the promotional article.

Supporting Fundraising Appeal

Back from left: Daniel Pettet, Emily Nation, Morwenna Griffiths, Robin Canniford, David Heyes
Front from left: Helen Pettet, Mary Heyes, Inga Griffiths-Hunt, Deryn Griffiths

The people of St Paul’s Geelong, in collaboration with the National Trust of Victoria, recently launched an appeal to raise money for much needed maintenance of their historic building.

On 30 January, ringers from Melbourne joined the locals for a picnic lunch after which they rang for almost two hours. The ceremony began with bagpipes and concluded with the formal cutting of a ribbon accompanied by a short burst of rounds. Afterwards around 70 people attended an organ recital given by the music director Tom Healey.

Bells, bagpipes, Widor, champagne and sunshine made an afternoon for all to remember and it is to be hoped the occasion will encourage the local community support the appeal generously.

Ringers who joined us but are not shown were Bruce Ritchie, Brian Pettet and David Pacey.

Mary Heyes,
5 February 2022

Belfry access

Chris (left) with hammer and Bruce (right)

On Sunday it took about half an hour to get into the belfry. Here Chris Nation and Bruce Ritchie are shown tackling the trap door together.

Bruce and I successfully changed the ropes on bells 2, 4, 6 and 8, with assistance from Inga Griffiths-Hunt and Mary Heyes in the ringing chamber.

Deryn Griffiths,
13 December 2021