Menneke's Bell

[Stephen Whiteside]

Menneke's Bell

Stephen Whiteside 14.10.2011

Menneke's bell, Menneke's bell,
There's none strikes a note that is carried so well.

Born as a German, but settled in Wagga,
For farmer or drover or bullock-team logger,
He turned out a bell with a ring ever clear.
Ten miles away, it would still reach the ear.

Menneke's bell, Menneke's bell,
There's none strikes a note that is carried so well.

They took all the bells to the roof of our land -
The summit of Kosci - experiment planned
Comparing their properties, testing their rings.
Which one the furthest o'er mountain-top sings?

Menneke's bell, Menneke's bell,
There's none strikes a note that is carried so well.

The Condamine bell is a fav'rite for sure.
It carries its legend and stature from yore.
It struck, though, a note in the very top clef,
And when rung repeated would turn horses deaf.

Menneke's bell, Meneke's bell,
There's none strikes a note that is carried so well.

I gaze out my window and stare at the cars.
I may just as well be on Pluto or Mars;
Horns and alarms, it's a soundscape from Hell.
Oh, what would I give for the ring of a bell!

Menneke's bell, Menneke's bell,
There's none strikes a note that is carried so well.

Menneke's bell, Menneke's bell,
Through history's fogcloud, it still casts its spell!

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks, Marty. I'm currently reading 'I Can Jump Puddles' by Alan Marshall. In it, a character talks about bells. The comment about the Condamine bell comes from that.

I probably looked at the same web-site! The book actually mentions both the Mennicke (a spelling error) and the Mongan bell as being the only two bells that were any good, but I couldn't find anything on the Mongan bell, so I had to settle for Menneke!

You probably would have read about the bell competition at the summit of Mt Kosciuszko - won by Menneke! Interesting little piece of history.

[Heather]

Got a nice rhythm to it Stephen.

Heather

[Zondrae]

To add my little bit..
G'day Stephen, and Marty,

I have no idea about how many Condamine Bells there were made, but I believe Menneke didn't make very many bells. Does the web site you mentioned say how many? I don't recall the exact number but I'll find out. I have some vague idea it was only about 200 which is not many for a lifetimes work. Apparently He could not get the right metal and would not settle for anything lesser. I'll find out and let you know.

PS: On follow up, my expert said they weren't sure how many but it was not a very high number.

[william williams]

My old Lead Bullock wore a Condime bell for 29 weeks and when I took it of him he gave me the fithist look that an aminal could ever give and then I lost it some ware West of Katherine I believe they were made from plough disks but unsure. But you always knew where old roany was

Bill the old Battler