In January 1997 my partner Rob and I were living in London. My birthday falls in January, and to celebrate I requested a tour of the centuries old Whitechapel Bell Foundry (est. 1570). It may sound an odd gift, but I have always adored the sound of bells. We had already been to St Clement Danes Church in Westminster, to hear the old nursery rhyme; ‘Oranges and lemons say the bell of St Clement’s’ ring out above the roar of traffic.
White Chapel Bell Foundry. Source -The Vintage News
At Whitechapel it was fascinating to follow the entire process of bell making. Big Ben was forged here, and also Philadelphia’s famous Liberty Bell, commissioned in 1751.
Inside the foundry. Source – The Vintage News
Unfortunately the foundry closed in 2017. This was such a loss.
In 2026 Rob and I moved to a high-rise apartment in Syndey’s Haymarket. Just down the street is the sandstone, Christ Church of St Laurence, consecrated in 1845. It is now dwarfed by surrounding buildings.
The distinctive red door and soaring steeple are not always enough to catch the eye of motorists travelling along George Street. Many Sydney-siders are completely unaware of the church’s existence.
For locals, it’s the sound of the bells that draw attention on Sunday mornings. They also ring out on feast days, on the joyous occasions of weddings or to commemorate more sombre events.
The original six bells were installed in December 1855;
“On Christmas Day the new peal of six bells recently placed in the tower of Christ Church, were chimed for the first time for Divine Service, and on New Year’s Day (the machinery of wheels, ropes etc., being completed) they were rung in full swing’. (Sydney Morning Herald, Jan. 5 1856)
During World War II on another Christmas Day, a young clerk from Coogee rang all six bells on her own. The usual three male bellringers were all in army camps. Twenty three year old Miss Monica Gardiner said simply; ‘There was no one to ring the bells when Christmas came, so I volunteered.‘ (Daily Telegraph. Jan 7 1943)
Five years later the Sydney Morning Herald reported on a rare event of change-ringing on full bells.
Source – SMH, Feb 23 194
Four more bells were added in 1984, and these were forged at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
Source – Dove’s Guide to Church Bell Ringing
A brass plaque below the bell tower commemorates the additional bells.
So now those of us lucky enough to live close by can hear ten bells ring out. The sound always reminds me of that birthday visit to Whitechapel. My thanks to the wonderful ringers. I look forward to hearing my first, full quarter peal, which lasts for 45 minutes.
Bell ringers in Christ Church St Laurence.
I’m not sure I could manage the bell tower steps these days, otherwise I would be tempted to take a turn on the ropes myself.
Christ Church St. Laurence is one of the most inclusive, welcoming places of worship in the city.
To hear the bells of St Laurence, CLICK HERE.
