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The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers

The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers
AbbreviationANZAB
PredecessorNew South Wales Association of Change Ringers (formed 1946)
Formation1962; 62 years ago (1962)
TypeMembership organisation
Websiteanzab.org.au

The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers, known as ANZAB, is the organisation responsible for the promotion of English-style "full circle ringing" – namely change ringing and method ringing in bell towers with a peal of bells – across Australia and New Zealand.

History

ANZAB was formed in 1962, through the renaming of the New South Wales Association of Change Ringers and the inclusion of ringers from other Australian states and New Zealand.[1][2] Its purpose is, "To encourage and provide for the installation, restoration, augmentation and maintenance of rings of bells and to provide technical, financial and other assistance in respect thereof."[3] The NSW association was formed in 1946, byRoyal Navy sailors, visiting from the British Pacific Fleet, who brought their skills to the six existing towers around Sydney.

Before the formation of the association, a quarter peal had not been rung in NSW during the previous 40 years.[4] As of 2014, ANZAB has around 500 members who ring at 64 bell towers.[5]

Functions

Aside from regular religious services, ringing is often conducted for special occasions such as state funerals, anniversaries, memorials and other locally or nationally significant events.[6] For example, there was a national simultaneous ringing of bells in celebration of the centenary of the Federation of Australia on 1 January 2001.[7] ANZAB is affiliated with the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, founded in 1891 and based in the United Kingdom. While most bells are hung in churches, there is no expectation of religious affiliation among the ringers themselves.[8]

ANZAB has branches in most Australian states, and these branches foster and encourage ringing at a local level through education and training. The branches organise regional ringing events, such as striking competitions, local advanced ringing sessions, and inter-tower visits and tours. ANZAB itself holds an annual ringing festival in conjunction with its Annual General Meeting. The location of the festival changes from year to year and is usually held in locations where two or more towers are easily accessible.[9]

ANZAB publishes a quarterly journal, Ringing Towers, containing articles of general interest to bellringers, reports of social and ringing events in Australia and New Zealand, and all Quarter Peals and Peals rung for ANZAB or in ANZAB territory.[10] The state branches also publish newsletters or websites related to their activities.[11] In recognition of the lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provided to Alan Coates who suffered a heart-attack while ringing in 2015, ANZAB now provides for first-aid and CPR training for two members in each tower.[12]

ANZAB members also ring changes on handbells, a practice which was popularised in the United Kingdom during the Second World War when church bells were not allowed to be rung. As Carillon bells are not rung in full-circle style they are not affiliated with ANZAB. While historically change ringers have been somewhat hostile to the carillon,[13] ANZAB has maintained a friendly relationship with carillonneurs who have performed at ANZAB events such as the 2016 Festival in Bathurst, due to the proximity between the Bathurst War Memorial Carillon and the change-ringing bell tower of All Saint's Cathedral.[14]

List of bellringing towers

Bells are usually tuned to a Diatonic major scale, with the tenor bell being the tonic (or key) note of the scale. Some towers have extra bells, indicated by the + sign, which are used to allow different subsets of the full number to be rung, still to a diatonic scale.

By convention, the weights of the tenor bells are shown in the imperial units: Hundredweights-quarters-pounds.

Ringers practising at St James' Church, Sydney
The tower of Christ Church St Laurence, "the oldest ringing peal in Australia".[4]
The Bell Tower, or "Swan Bells", Perth. The largest set of change ringing bells in Australia.
Region Church Bells (tenor weight) Reference
Australian Capital Territory St Paul's, Manuka 8 (4-1-12) Dove, ANZAB, homepage Archived 29 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
New South Wales St Matthews, Albury 8 (7-3-12) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Peter's Cathedral, Armidale 8 (7-0-7) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales All Saint's Cathedral, Bathurst 8 (11-3-14) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
New South Wales St Benedict's, Broadway 6 (14-0-25) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
New South Wales St Paul's, Burwood 8 (11-0-8) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales Wesleyan Chapel, Castlereagh 6 (3-1-20) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Mark's, Darling Point 8 (8-1-26) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Saviour's Cathedral, Goulburn 12+1 (21-3-8) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Alban's Cathedral, Griffith 6 (9-0-12) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales Holy Family Catholic Church, Ingleburn 6 (2-3-0) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Hilda's, Katoomba 6 (5-3-13) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales Holy Family Catholic Church, Lindfield 5 (2-3-1) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Andrew's, Lismore 8 (6-3-14) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales Hoskins Memorial Church, Lithgow 8 (7-2-2) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Paul's, Maitland 6 (14) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St James', Menagle 8 (7-1-27) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Leonard's, Naremburn 6 (10-0-4) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales Holy Trinity, Orange 8 (6-3-15) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales All Saints, Parramatta 8 (10-1-5) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Jude's, Randwick 8 (14-1-25) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales Our Lady Help of Christians, Rosemeadow 8 (4-3-17) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales All Saints, Singleton 8 (9-3-26) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales Christ Church St Laurence, Sydney 10 (10-3-8) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney 12+1 (29-0-4) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St James', Sydney 8 (10-0-12) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
New South Wales St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney 12+2 (34-1-3) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
New South Wales St Philip's, Sydney 8 (18-2-21) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
New South Wales St James', Turramurra 8 (9-3-12) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St John's, Wagga Wagga 8 (6-2-0) Dove, ANZAB
New South Wales St Clement's, Yass 6 (6-1-13) Dove, ANZAB
New Zealand, North Island St Matthew in the City, Auckland 8 (17-2-0) Dove, ANZAB
New Zealand, North Island St Andrew's, Cambridge 6 (12¼) Dove, ANZAB
New Zealand, North Island St Peter's Cathedral, Hamilton 8 (20-2-6) Dove, ANZAB
New Zealand, North Island Old St Paul's, Wellington 5 (3-3-25) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
New Zealand, North Island St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington 12+2 (27-1-24) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
New Zealand, South Island First Church of Otago, Dunedin 8 (6-3-26) Dove, ANZAB
New Zealand, South Island St Paul's, Papanui 8 (6-0-26) Dove, ANZAB
Northern Territory St Mary's Cathedral, Darwin 6 (5-2-1) Dove, ANZAB
Queensland St John's Cathedral, Brisbane 12 (16-1-17) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
Queensland Christ Church, Bundaberg 6 (14-2-24) Dove, ANZAB
Queensland St Paul's, Maryborough 8+1 (18-1-5) Dove, ANZAB
Queensland St Andrew's, South Brisbane 6 (7-2-21) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
South Australia St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide 12+1 (28-2-1) Dove, ANZAB
South Australia St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide 8 (41-1-0) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
South Australia Town Hall, Adelaide 8 (13-2-13) Dove, ANZAB
South Australia St Cuthbert's, Prospect 8 (11-1-2) Dove, ANZAB
South Australia St Andrew's, Walkerville 6 (12-3-17) Dove, ANZAB
Tasmania Holy Trinity, Hobart 8 (9-0-10) Dove, ANZAB
Tasmania St David's Cathedral, Hobart 10 (21-2-8) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria St Peter's, Ballarat 8 (11-2-26) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria Town Hall, Ballarat 8 (22-0-10) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria Christ Church, Beechworth 6 (4-0-25) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria St Paul's Cathedral, Bendigo 8 (14-2-4) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria St James', Brighton 6 (5-3-9) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria St Bartholomew, Burnley 6 (5-0-25) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria St Paul's, Geelong 8 (13-0-6) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria St James' Old Cathedral, Melbourne 8 (13-0-7) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne 8 (12-1-10) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
Victoria St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne 12+1 (29-1-12) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria Holy Trinity Cathedral, Wangaratta 8 (16-3-23) Dove, ANZAB
Victoria St Pius X, West Heidelberg 8 (5-3-27) Dove, ANZAB
Western Australia St Patrick's Cathedral, Bunbury 8 (7-3-1) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
Western Australia Christ Church, Claremont 6 (6-1-21) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
Western Australia Christ's Church, Mandurah 8 (7-2-8) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
Western Australia St Hilda's School Chapel, Mosman Park 8 (4-0-22) Dove, ANZAB
Western Australia St George's Cathedral, Perth 8 (11-0-18) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
Western Australia The Bell Tower, Perth 16 (29-0-14) Dove, ANZAB, homepage
Western Australia Civic Centre, Rockingham 8 (3-0-19) Dove, ANZAB
Western Australia Holy Trinity, York 8 (4-2-16) Dove, ANZAB

See also

References

  1. ^ Bleby, Elizabeth (1989). We Sing in a Strange Land: a History of Change Ringing in Australia and New Zealand. South Australia: The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. p. 61. ISBN 0-7316-7007-8.
  2. ^ Cummins, John. "The Rocky Road to ANZAB". Privately published monograph, 1998. National Library of Australia collection.
  3. ^ "Donating to the ANZAB Public Donations Fund". ANZAB. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  4. ^ a b "The Six Ringing Towers of Sydney". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954). NSW. 4 February 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  5. ^ "ANZAB". The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  6. ^ Rolfe, Dominic (3 January 2014). "There with bells on". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  7. ^ "Ringing the bells: FAQs". National Council Events & Program. Centenary of Federation. 2001. Archived from the original on 14 November 2002. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  8. ^ Elliot, Tim (3 November 2011). "Lords of the rings to mark bells' 25 years of appeal". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  9. ^ "Annual General Meetings". The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  10. ^ "Ringing Towers". The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  11. ^ "Branch and Local News". The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  12. ^ "CPR and First Aid Training". anzab.org.au. The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  13. ^ "Bell Ringers Protest". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954). NSW. 20 June 1950. p. 2. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  14. ^ Doyle, Julie (2016). "ANZAB 2016". Vol. 70, no. 2. pp. 5–6.

Bibliography

  • Bleby, Elizabeth (2001). Their sound has gone forth: a history of change ringing in Australia and New Zealand to 2001. Millswood, South Australia: Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. ISBN 0957873603.
  • Bleby, Elizabeth (1989). We sing in a strange land: a history of change ringing in Australia and New Zealand to 1988. South Australia: Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. ISBN 0731670078.
  • Ringing Towers: The quarterly journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers, Libraries Australia ID 2682232