A $500,000 upgrade of the Bathurst War Memorial Carillon has been planned to bring it up to the standard first imagined in the 1920s, but first the committee behind the project say they need a little help.
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The structure, which has stood in the centre of Bathurst since 1933, was built to honour the men and women of the district who served and died during the First World War.
A development application currently before Bathurst Regional Council for the upgrade shows it will include a clavier, additional bells and a new “Clock-o-matic” system that automatically strikes the bells every 15 minutes.
Patron of the fundraising committee for the carillon, Vicki Wilson, said there were a number of ways to give towards the upgrade including becoming a benefactor or donations from individuals.
The clavier will be a vital component of the upgrade, musician and historian Henry Bialowas said.
Bathurst might be known as the carillon city, but he said officially the carillon was not actually a carillon.
“We need to turn it into a carillon, it’s never been one that’s the problem,” he said.
Mr Bialowas said until it had a clavier, a piano-like instrument played with closed fists, it would not be a true carillon.
We need to turn it into a carillon, it’s never been one that’s the problem.
- Musician and historian Henry Bialowas
“It’s a completely different approach to playing the instrument. At the moment the bells are rung by an electronic system which means that there’s no musicality,” he said.
Mr Bialowas said the addition of a clavier would not make a difference to the overall volume, but it would be more expressive and “sound like a well-played piano”.
Bathurst RSL Sub Branch president David Mills said he had been consulted throughout the upgrade plans to ensure that the commemoration of those early veterans was maintained.
“We’re keen to see it completed, to see their vision completed,” he said. “For us this is more than bricks and mortar, this embodies the whole spirit of Anzac.”
While the Eternal Flame will be changed during the upgrade, it will still remain a flame and not a hologram as considered earlier this year.
Bathurst War Memorial Public Fund Trust trustee, Lachlan Sullivan, urged the public to donate whatever they could to ensure the upgrade could be completed.
“The carillon is the centrepiece of Bathurst, we call ourselves the carillon city,” he said.
A website and Facebook page will soon be created for the fundraiser, with donations of $2 or more tax deductible.
Part of the upgrade will completed this year, with works to be finalised by mid 2019.