Description of the attraction
The National Carillon, or Chimes, is one of the world's largest belfries, with 53 bells. Located on Aspen Island in the center of Canberra. The 50m Carillon is a gift from the UK government on the 50th anniversary of the founding of Canberra. The grand opening on April 26, 1970 was attended by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
In general, a carillon, like an organ, is a complex and expensive musical instrument - it requires a separate building for itself. The bells of the carillon themselves are motionless, and their tongues are connected to the keyboard. In 2004, the Australian Carillon was slightly renovated - the designers updated the interior and also added 2 new bells. Each of the 55 bells of Carillon weighs between 7 kilograms and 6 tons. Together they chromatically take 4, 5 octaves.
Bells in Carillon ring every 15 minutes and a small melody is played every hour. They play a wide variety of music - from classics to folk tunes. It is believed that the best place to listen to the sound of bells is within a radius of 100 meters from the tower, although the sound itself can be heard much further - in the Parliamentary Triangle (a complex of government buildings), Kingston and Civic districts.
In addition to the wonderful music that can be heard in Carillon, you can also climb up to a small observation deck, which overlooks Lake Burleigh Griffin and Canberra city center.
