CANBERRA - A : AUSTRALIA

   The National Carillon

*Location:

   Aspen Island
   Lake Burley Griffin
   near Kings Avenue bridge
   Canberra,
     National Capitol Territory, Australia
   LL: S 35.29848, E 149.14172

Site locator map or
City locator maps and gazetteer page
Also see our own Map Use Hints.

*Player:

   Timothy Hurd, Director   (C)
   PO Box 6374 Marion Square
   6030 Wellington, New Zealand
   T: 4/385 2496   F: same, on request
   E: timothy.hurd@natcap.gov.au
   - and -
   Lyn Fuller
   54 Tempe Crescent
   Googong,
     via Queanbeyan NSW, 2620
   E: fulfam@aapt.net.au
   - and -
   Joan Chia

   Members of Carillon Concert
     Presentations
   19??-91 John D. Gordon   (d.1991)
   19??-?? George Howe, deputy

*Contact:

  (unknown)

*Schedule:

   Sep-May:
     recitals 1230-1320 on Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun
       and public holidays,
     tower tours from 1230 Tu/Th, 1130 Sat;
   + Dec/Jan/Feb Tue.1930-2030 concerts;
   Jun-Aug:
     recitals 1230-1320 on Wed/Sun
       and public holidays,
     tower tours from 1130 Sat

*Remarks:

   Totally rebuilt in 1986 by Olympic,
   this was the largest carillon in the
   southern hemisphere until Wellington
   expansion.  Additional work in 1992 and
   1998 before 2003 enlargement.
   Practice clavier is original, 53 notes.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 55 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is F# in the bass octave
   Transposition is down 1 semitone(s)
   Keyboard range:     G C   /    G A#27
   There is one missing bass semitone
   There is a non-identical practice console
   The instrument was enlarged in 2003
     with 30 bells made by Taylor      
   Prior history:
     In 1970, the complete instrument was installed
       with bells made by Taylor      
   Year of latest technical information source is 2006

Additional information on the technical history of this instrument can be found in a database printout.

*Links:

The Canberra government has a page about the carillon as a tourist attraction (with recital schedules and photos).  Another page tells what the carillon is.

Historic photos related to the carillon:

• within the belfry
• Tuning of the largest of bell at the John Taylor & Co. foundry (1969)
• Some of the 53 bells as they arrived prior to installation (1970)
• John Barrett, then Deputy Carillonist, being visited by Lyall Gillespie, City Manager (1980)
• John Gordon, carillonist, feels the vibrations from the largest bell as it strikes the hour (1983)
• Sue Magassy beneath the bass bell (1987)
• Gordon Slater beneath a bass bell
• demonstration of the mechanics of the National Carillon (#1 of 2)
• demonstration of the mechanics of the National Carillon (#2 of 2)

The Wikipedia article on this carillon has several photos.

A White Hat photo of the tower

Where the initial 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 Asian & Pacific Rim traditional carillons by pitch (weight).
Ranking among all Asian & Pacific Rim traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all Asian & Pacific Rim traditional carillons by year of completion.

Index to all traditional carillons in Australia.

Index to all tower bell instruments in Australia.

*Status:

   This page was built from the database on 26-Dec-06
   based on textual data last updated on 2006/12/15
   and on technical data last updated on 2006/12/04

Explanations of page format and keyboard range are available.

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