National Carillon

Located on Aspen Island in Lake Burley Griffin, the National Carillon was a gift from the British Government to the people of Australia celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Capital. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the National Carillon on 26 April 1970. John Douglas Gordon, after whom the Aspen Island footbridge is now named, played the inaugural recital.

A carillon is a set of at least 23 cast and tuned bronze bells, played from a mechanical-action keyboard. With 53 bronze bells, the National Carillon is large by world standards. The pitch of the bells ranges chromatically through four and a half octaves, and each bell weighs between seven kilograms and six tonnes. Cast in England by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough, they are fine examples of the art of bellfounding.

Carillonists play the suspended stationary bells from a keyboard of wooden batons and pedals, called a clavier. A system of individual cables and wire linkages draws soft iron clappers onto the bells as each wooden baton or pedal is struck by the carillonist. A separate system of operation allows the quarter-hour striking of the Westminster chimes.
The National Carillon tower, rising to a height of 50 metres, was the prize-winning design of Western Australian architects Cameron, Chisholm & Nicol.

The design of the tower consists of a cluster of three shafts, each a triangle in shape, aligned with the three sides of a central equilateral triangle. Each of the shafts serves a different function: the highest contains a passenger lift, the next shaft holds a steel staircase, and the lowest is a service shaft. The first floor is approximately halfway up the tower and contains the chamber for the clavier that operates the bells, a practice clavier for recital preparation. On the next floor is the bell chamber and above that again, at 36 metres from the ground, is the viewing chamber.
The tower is faced with precast mineral aggregate panels of white marble chippings and white cement. The tower's height allows the music of the bells to drift across Lake Burley Griffin and through Kings and Commonwealth Parks. The tower is lit at night, providing a magnificent landmark in the National Capital.

Building Address:
Aspen Island
Lake Burley Griffen
Canberra, ACT Australia
2600


Is it open to the general public?: yes

When was it built? (Approximate if you must.): 04/26/1970

What is the name of this building?: Australia's National Carillion