Bell - The Col Joye Bell, Church Bell on show at the Rockhampton Heritage Village
Posted by: 
The Talent
S 23° 18.403 E 150° 30.972
56K E 245980 N 7420346
The Col Joye bell located at the Rockhampton Heritage Village
Waymark Code: WMHEPB
Location: Queensland, Australia
Date Posted: 07/01/2013
Views: 4
The sign next to the bell reads as follows:
"The Story of the Col Joye Bell
Col Joye AM who has been performing in Rockhampton for over forty years, visited a second hand shop on the corner of Bolsover and Derby streets, Rockhampoton when he staged his last show here in 2000. Whilst browsing he came across a bell and asked the auctioneer John Shaw how much was the asking price. Mr Shaw said it would be sold to the highest bidder by negotiation. Col decided to submit a bid for the bell, but was not able to attend the actual auction, so his long time friend and Rockhampton resident Raymond Young OAM, represented him. There was another bidder from Sydney who also wanted the bell and negotiations continued for a further week. Col Joye AM was determined to get the bell and therefore succeeded in his bid.
"The history of the bell stems from a small wooden church, on the corner of Rundle and Wilkinson streets in Wandal called Stella Maris. The bell was made by Matthew O'Byrne Bell Foundry, in Dublin, Ireland in 1911. It was engraved with Stella Maris and underneath was "Jacobus Duhig *Epus* Rockhamptone"/ This inscription could be latin for bishop James Duhig or Rockhampton, the then Roman Catholic Bishop at the time and who eventually became the Archbishop of Brisbane.
"Father Martin from Stella Maris set about improving its facilities and the church was enlarged and became St. Vincent's and was moved to the corner of Rundle and Herbet streets in 1938. This church then outgrew itself and another was built and the church was moved to the rear of the Rockhampton swimming pool.
"The new church was finished on November 3 1974 and the bell was removed and over the years people have been looking for the bell. in 1986 one of the priests asked auctioneer George Frew to give a quote on some things lying around the church grounds such as pews, a portable confessional box, assorted rubbish and a bell. The bell at this stage was in a terrible state and the wooden structure it was attached, had been destroyed by white ants and had a fracture possibly due to the fall. Mr Frew saw a historic value with the bell.
"The churchyard was cleaned up and the bell was taken away. It took four men to drag the bell on two planks up on to a truck and the bell was sold to someone and once again found its way to a second hand dealer.
"As the bell had a historic value to Rockhampton, Col Joy AM wanted to give it back to the city as a gift. He also wanted it placed somewhere in the city where people would congregate and the bell rung for activities to commence or publicly announce something. He has left the decision to his good friend Raymond Young and Her Worship the Mayor Margaret Strelow.
"Because "Stella Marus" means Star of the Sea, it has been discussed that one of the significant places for the bell to be installed would be at the riverside park main entertainment staging area in quay street. If it was installed in this area, for public safety it was suggested that it be mounted over the Fitzroy Rover on one side of the staging.
"It was then decided to place the Col Joye Nell at the Rockhampton Heritage village where it would be kept safe and could be installed for all to see."
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