Photo of bellringers in action

The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers was formed in 1962 to promote the art of change ringing in our two countries. There are currently around 350 members who ring at more than 70 bell towers throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Non-ringers might like this introduction to bellringing.

Ringers and potential ringers can contact our association's office bearers or local towers and ringers.


Updated: 9 February, 2025

vale Alex Herrmann

Alex Herrmann

Born 3 July 1926; Died 22 January 2025

Alex was born in Dimboola attending school there and in Horsham. He learned to ring in the early 1950s when he was living in a boarding house in Bendigo where he became friends with Warne Wilson, a keen ringer. Alex regularly visited Ballarat with Warne ringing at both St Peter’s and the Town Hall.

In 1952 Alex moved to Ballarat to care for his widowed mother and sister. He became tower captain at both Ballarat towers, maintaining the bells and teaching many young ringers.

In the early 1960s Alex moved to Warrnambool, but maintained his connection with ringing with frequent visits to Melbourne and Ballarat. He was very proud to claim the record of 42 years, for the longest consecutive attendance at New Year’s Eve ringing at the Ballarat Town Hall. His presence was always valued although in the latter years, his frailty became a safety hazard the current ringers dealt with gracefully.

I remember Alex as a flamboyant character. He had great enthusiasm for life and living. He was a long term active St John’s Ambulance member and among his other interests were leather carving, needlework, singing, theatrical design and lighting. He was always concerned to maintain tradition and to tread lightly on the earth. For example he abhorred waste and requested that there be no flowers at his funeral. He was a man of deep Christian faith and although he was attracted to the high church Anglican tradition found himself equally at home in more informal church environments.

On Thursday 6 February 2025 Alex was farewelled at St Peter’s Ballarat with a Funeral Eucharist preceded by ringing. I was proud to be included in the ringing to farewell him and to be a part of a service that reflected his life and values so clearly.

We extend our sympathy to his extended family. May he rest in peace.

Mary Heyes
(One of the young ringers Alex taught in the 1960s)

ANZAB 2025 Registration is Open new

ANZAB 2025 logo

Registration is open for the ANZAB 2025 AGM and Ringing Festival, to be held in Goulburn, Canberra and Yass, on 24-27 April, 2025.

Registrations to date = 23.  Why not make it 24?

Registrations close on 4 April 2025.

Approaching ASCY Visit new

A screengrab of the membership section of the website showing links to nominate new members

The Ancient Society of College Youths, including several Australians, start their ASCY Oz25 tour in Perth on 15 February. The following words are from Tony Murray-Feist in Look To!, the WA newsletter.

The ASCY was founded in 1637. Its members are responsible for providing excellent ringing at the most prestigious towers in England, notably St.Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and several important London churches. Like the captain in HMS Pinafore, who sang "I am never known to quail at the fury of a gale, and I’m never, never sick at sea!", the ASCY ringers take the ropes for Stedman Cinques or Surprise Maximus without turning a hair, unlike ringers such as me, who find my pulse-rate climbing well above 100 bpm and blood-pressure to heaven-knows-what at the mere suggestion I might attempt such ringing these days.

If you have a chance to hear some of the ASCY ringing do take it, and there is even General Ringing planned at The Bell Tower on 15 and 17 February, when it is very likely that local ringers may be able to join in some more advanced ringing and have somebody to stand behind them!

Phil Goodyer reminds us that all Australian ringers (members and non-members) are invited to take part in "The Master's Challenge" and to attend the ASCY Oz25 Tour Dinner on 2 March 2025 in Sydney. A promotional flyer is available here. Australian non-members (and their partners/friends) can register for the Challenge and/or the Tour Dinner here. Registrations and payment close on Sunday 16 February 2025.

Becoming a member of ANZAB

This article was prompted by a member having trouble navigating the website.

Information about joining ANZAB may be found via the drop-down menu "Information" and selecting "About Membership".

A screengrab of the membership section of the website showing links to nominate new members

If you want to become a Member or Associate Member, you will need to find a Member of ANZAB to nominate you. For ringers in Australia and New Zealand this will be usuallly be your Tower Captain or Ringing Master. If you have trouble finding a member you can email the for assistance.

Once nominated, keep an eye on your email for instructions on how to accept nomination.

There is an annual fee, usually collected by towers but sometimes paid individually.

If you believe that you are a member, you can confirm by logging onto the Members' section of the website. If you are unable to logon you may not be a current member and can email the to check your status.

Members, but not Associate Members, may nominate new members via the Members' section of the website using the link shown in the screengrab above. You need to be logged on to see these links.

ANZAB CPR Training and First Aid Assistance

ANZAB offers funding to all towers for ringers to train in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid, to a maximum of two ANZAB members per tower. Each tower is also being offered a free poster providing details of CPR.

see other performance links on the
Peals & Quarters page

Updated: 12 February 2025

Lithgow. Hoskins Memorial Church
Practice cancelled on 17 February.

Sydney. Christ Church St Laurence
Tuesday 18 February. Practice replaced by AGM.

Perth. The Bell Tower
Tuesday 18 February. Practice from 6:00pm.

Perth. St George's Cathedral
Tuesday 18 February. No practice.

Claremont. Christ Church
Wednesday 5 March. No practice.

Updated: 12 February, 2025

2025

23 February
Adelaide. ASCY-ANZAB BBQ.
Contact:

27 February - 2 March
Oamaru. Two Island Cluster Event.
Contact:

2 March
Sydney. ASCY-ANZAB Challenge & Dinner.
Non-ASCY members invitation here.
Contact:

8 March
Mandurah. WA Branch Practice.
Contact:

7-9 March
Bundaberg. Intermediate workshop.
Contact: or

24-27 April
ANZAB 2025 Festival and AGM.
Goulburn+.
Information here.
Contact:

Facebook - follow ANZAB on Facebook

email - looktoanzab

latest first

2025

Latest issue:
vol.79, no.1, Summer 2025

Ringing Towers cover

Download the electronic version

Download the print version

Deadline for next issue:
31 March 2025.
Early submissions appreciated,
and essential for longer articles.

New Zealand: DST commenced on 29 September 2024 (UTC +13 hours) and will cease on 6 April 2025 (UTC +12 hours).

New South Wales, A.C.T., Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia: DST commenced on 6 October 2024 (UTC +11 hours, South Australia UTC +10.5 hours) and will cease on 6 April 2025 (UTC +10 hours, South Australia UTC +9.5 hours).

Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory: No DST.