Carbet Castle Bell, 1875
Ship's bell from the wreck of the barque Carbet Castle. Large, heavy bronze bell with intact clapper hung from a later metal attachment.
The School is in possession of the ship’s bell from the barque Carbet Castle, which was wrecked in Bunbury Harbour in a fierce gale in April 1897. Apparently the cargo and many of the fittings were salvaged and sold at public auction (possibly in May 1897). It is understood that the bell came into the School’s possession with the Sisters of Elizabeth (Bunbury's Grey Nuns) buildings that were transported to the School in late 1972. By 1979 the bell was hanging at the end of G Block to be rung on very special occasions, including the Lishman Lap of Valour. Many former students have fond memories of the bell from when it hung outside G Block and the Old Grammarians’ Association (OGA) decided that it would like it on display for past, current and future members of the School community to see. In 2013 the OGA paid for the bell to be professionally cleaned and conserved by the WA Maritime Museum. It has now been presented back to the School so that many more people can enjoy it. The Carbet Castle Bell is on display at the front counter in the Bishop Ralph Hawkins Administration Building.
Details
Details
Inscribed: Carbet Castle - 1875 - Liverpool. Original weathering retained as patina. Some rust deposits from previous corroded headstocks.
The WA Maritime Museum wrote to the School on 30 March 1990, advising that good care be taken of the bell due to its historic value and it was taken down to be stored more securely, initially in the D & T Centre and later in Archives. In 2010 it was loaned to the Bunbury Port Authority as an exhibit in their Centenary Exhibition. In 2011-12 investigations were undertaken into possible conservation of the bell and permanent display at the School. The Carbet Castle Bell is a physical link to the dedicated work of Bunbury’s Grey Nuns, their student hostel and the history of Bunbury.
