VERY Soon or sooner, if the financial obligation is met, Bathurst is going to enjoy the appealing peals of the Cathedral Bells, rung by a brand new breed of specialists – the campanologists – bell ringers, hopefully from a new bell tower.

This is something the people of Bathurst have been long awaiting and even as we write, appeals are going out across the country for donations, to help put the bells in a new home – a tower – at All Saints’ Cathedral.

Turn Back The Hands Of Time
This beautiful city has a proud history and the addition of some gorgeous historic bells can only enhance this city’s prestige.

 Okay, We’re boasting and proud of our boast, that Bathurst is the first inland settlement in Australia. Proclaimed in 1815. Well, if we need to be really pedantic, the claim should go to Kelso, on the eastern side of the Macquarie River. Therefore it is only fitting that Bathurst’s first parish (Church of England/Anglican) was established in 1825 and the parish church – Holy Trinity was completed in 1837. This was the first church west of the Great divide.

As the new settlement moved westward, a new church was established on the Bathurst side of the river – All Saints’. This was from a design by Edmund Blacket, who arrived in Sydney in 1842 and appointed Colonial Architect in 1849. Blacket is best known for his designs for the University of Sydney (1856-1862) and St John’s Church in inner-city Glebe.

All Saints’ became a cathedral in 1870.

During the period, the incumbent minister, Reverend Thomas Sharpe resided in the rectory on ther corner of Russell and Peel Streets. This lovely old home is known and loved today, as Miss Traill’s House, a favourite tourist spot.

We Need Bells
Shortly after the Churchs’ consecration, a fund was opened for a peal of bells for the new All Saints’ Tower. Chierf fundraiser was prominent Bathurst businessman, Thomas Sloman. From that appeal, the sum of £800 ($1600) – a great sum then -  was raised by public subscription.

In February 1851, Mr Sloman sailed for England to order six bells from the bellfoundry of Warner & Sons. He could not have chosen a better manufacturer with the firm beginning in 1739. Under continuous ownership by the same family for more than two centuries, they manufactured a wide variety of products before finally closing in 1949.

The bells were landed in Sydney in February 1855.

Sorry! Transport is short – There’s a Gold Rush On
Great excuse, but true. That period saw a hectic rush to the goldfields and no carrier in the days of the bullock and dray transport could be found to carry them to Bathurst at no cost. .

Both the population and economy had expanded but the Church still had to rely on free transport. Thus, from May 1855, the bells arrived in Bathurst one by one. It was a mighty long haul up and over the Blue Mountains, so they were not completely hung until the 8th of December.

In the next article, we’ll read of how some likely lads caused a problem with the newly hung bells.