The Swan Bells

*Location:

   The Bell Tower
   Barrack Square
     (Barrack Street and Riverside Drive)
   Perth, Western Australia, Australia
   LL: S 31.95891, E 115.85817

   St.Martin-in-the-Fields
   Westminster, London WC2, England

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Ringers' contact(s):

   Richard Offen
   E: richard DOToffen/@/iinet DOTnet DOTau
   - or -
   Vicki Hodgkin
   E: vicki/@/graduate DOTuwa DOTedu DOTau
   - or -
   Helen Silver
   E: helenDOTsilver/@/metallic DOTcom DOTau

      Verify the current ringers' contact(s) at the ANZAB Website.

*Contact:

   The Swan Bells
   Barrack Square
   Riverside Drive
   Perth, WA
   T: 8/9218 8183   F: 08/9325 2507
   E: info@swanbells.com.au

*Schedule:

   Practice 1200-1300 Sat,Sun,Mon,Tue
   (general ringing), Thu (qp attempt);
   extra ringing & qp attempts may occur
   at 1pm on any ringing day - call two
   weeks ahead to join a qp or for more
   information.  Also, 6-8pm last Tuesday
   while Cathedral ringing is suspended.
   Tower open daily to visitors (by fee).

*Remarks:

   Ring of 16 with flat 10th & flat 3rd to
   form a light 12.  Three trebles and
   2 semitones cast by Taylor in 1988 to
   form the first diatonic ring of 15 in
   the world.  Original 12 by Rudhall,
   1725-6; 3 trebles recast by Rudhall
   1758-70; all retuned 1922-3 (by ?).

*Technical data:

   Ring of 18 bells (16+2)
   Pitch of heaviest bell is C# in the middle octave
   Transposition is not applicable
   Keyboard range:     ROPE  /    NONE  
   There are two added semitones
   The instrument was enlarged in 1998
     with  1 bells made by Taylor       
   Prior history:
     In 1988, the instrument was enlarged to 17 bells
       by Taylor      
       (5 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
     In 1988, the instrument was begun with 12 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (12 bells remain from that work.)
       There were no added semitones
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2009

The Swan Bells Website

The ANZAB Webpage about this ring has at least a photo of the tower, and possibly additional information.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Rudhall bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Taylor bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Taylor bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all Asia and the Pacific Rim chimes by pitch (weight).
Ranking among all Asia and the Pacific Rim chimes by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all Asia and the Pacific Rim chimes by year of completion.

Index to all tower bell instruments in Australia.

   This page was built from the database on  4-Nov-23
   based on textual data last updated on 2009/07/30
   and on technical data last updated on 2009/02/09