Bell Tower tour in Perth

 Sometimes when Holly goes into town for her work, we take the train in for the last leg.  While she is working, I tour the sites in Perth.  ON Tuesday (well, it was Tuesday here anyway), I toured the Perth Bell Tower.  I was truly a great experience!

This picture shows the entrance to the Bell Tower.  On the chains over the bridge there are all these padlocks.  All are engraved with the names of couples who have been there and often the date.  Seems to be a tradition here that one sees in many places in this city,

In this shot I am ringing one of the huge bells in the tower.  It takes lots of strength and I had to watch that I did not get lifted off the floor!  The tour guide was wonderful, and we played some bells together - it was neat!  If one rings the bells, they are given a really neat token that is engraved with the date and a certificate of participation.  On Friday I took the token to the Perth Mint and it was engraved with my name and the date. 

The Bell Tower has 6 levels, and this is the view from the top floor on the outside walkway.

This is the Anzac bell which was named when  Australia and New Zealand joined
forces to engage in World War One.  Anzac stands for Australia-New Zealand Army Corp.
The rings inside this bell are made with a laser to keep the bell in tune. 
 

I


This is the oldest bell in Australia but not the largest.  It was retired due to a crack on the side which ruins the tone.  Most are melted down and remolded but this historical bell was gifted to Australia from England