ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

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!

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.

Got a nice rhythm to it Stephen.

Heather

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.

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