Condamine Bell – Condamine, Australia - Atlas Obscura
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Condamine Bell

Condamine, Australia

A giant version of an Australian town's claim to fame: a cowbell said to be audible from miles away. 

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Condamine Bell OZSHOTZ / Alamy Stock Photo
Condamine Bell OZSHOTZ / Alamy Stock Photo
Condamine bell maker, circa 1912 State Library of Queensland. (Public Domain)
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Ever lost your bullock in the outback? No? Well, the early pioneers of Australia’s outback stations lost theirs with alarming frequency.

This prompted a man by the name of Samuel William Jones to use his smithy by the Condamine River to invent the Condamine Bell in the 1860s. Old men’s tales tell us that the bullock bell could be heard from up to 11 kilometers away (that’s seven miles to those who shun the metric system) due to their size. These bells would allow teamsters to track down their ballsy bullocks when they would wander off in the night into a vast unfenced land of dirt and dust.

But what makes these brassy bangers worthy of a giant-sized replica in a small town park that would have once been barely an acknowledgment on a government map? Well, honestly… not much. But who doesn’t love an excuse to create another classic Australian ‘Big Thing” and an even better reason to stop for a photo.

bells livestock roadside attractions
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