THE historic ringing of the Alfred Memorial Bells on New Year’s Eve is a practice dating back to the 1880s, but a long-standing bellringer says more volunteers are needed to keep the tradition alive in Ballarat.
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Bellringer Edith Fry has been ringing the bells inside the Town Hall’s bell tower since she was 15 years old.
Since then, the Ballarat librarian has embarked on a lifelong interest in campanology.
What has kept her fascinated so long was the uniqueness of the tradition to Ballarat, she said. The Town Hall in Ballarat is one of only four town halls in the world to have a ring of bells in it.
But Ms Fry feared that unless more people embarked on the tradition, it could soon cease to exist in the city.
Bellringer numbers this New Year's Eve have already dropped from 40 bellringers in previous years to 10.
“Without more people taking it up, there would simply be no ringing. The bells would just hang silent,” Ms Fry said.
Bellringers such as Ms Fry are a Ballarat institution.
At the beginning of every hour, an automated carillon sitting behind the Town Hall rings, however the historic bells inside the tower cannot sound unless they are physically pulled by a bellringer.
Every New Year’s Eve, Christmas and when a new mayor is elected, the bellringers make the trek up the narrow, spiral staircase to the top of the tower to sound the bells.
The job is no easy feat and often takes months to perfect.
Ms Fry said while there was an art to ringing the bells, once you had the skills you were welcome in any bell tower in the world.
“It’s a fellowship,” she said.
Ms Fry has rung bells all over the world, including at churches inEngland.
At the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, the sound of bells bouncing and echoing off the historic buildings of Sturt Street marked the beginning of the new year.
The light at the top of the tower was also switched on, so people below could see the bells swaying.
The bells sounded every hour from 9.30pm on New Year’s Eve until after midnight.
For details on how to join the Ballarat bellringers group, call 5320 5500.
melissa.cunningham@fairfaxmedia.com.au