Officially opened on Armistice Day in 1933, the Bathurst War Memorial Carillon, located in Kings Parade in the heart of the city, serves as a memorial to the men and women of the region who served in…
Officially opened on Armistice Day in 1933, the Bathurst War Memorial Carillon, located in Kings Parade in the heart of the city, serves as a memorial to the men and women of the region who served in World War I.
In 1926, the carillon was chosen by the Bathurst community as the most appropriate memorial to honour the fallen: what followed were years of fundraising, including a penny drive and a Buy-a-Brick campaign. As money was raised, the tower, designed by architect John Drummond Moore, started to take shape. In the end, 212,000 local red bricks were used in its construction, with the last brick laid on April 24, 1933.
In the early 2000s, the memorial underwent renovations: the original gas-fired Eternal Flame, installed in 1965, was replaced by a 750kg LED bronze sculpture designed by Australian artist Terrance Plowright. A clavier was also installed, enabling the bells to be heard with their full dynamic range for the first time.
Those bells play a tune each day at noon and 1pm, as well as chiming briefly every 15 minutes to mark the hour.
The Bathurst War Memorial Carillon is one of only three carillons in Australia, alongside the Canberra National Carillon and the Sydney University War Memorial Carillon.
