Antique collector finds stolen Paterson church bell in scrap metal yard
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A 185-year-old church bell has been found a week after thieves used an angle grinder to remove it from its mount.
The bell was cut from its supports in a structure outside the former St Ann's Presbyterian Church at Paterson.
Police said thieves took it between June 5 and 8.
The church opened in 1842, and the bell rang out the day World War I ended.
It was deconsecrated in 2009, and there are plans to convert the building into accommodation.
Found in a skip
The owner of the church, Louise Shirvington, said devastation turned to joy on Thursday when a Hunter antique collector found the bell at a Newcastle scrap metal yard.
"I couldn't believe it — the fact someone had gone out on their own to search for it blew me away," she said.
"It was in a really big skip bin being sent overseas to be melted down."
Ms Shirvington said the bell had some damage and was missing its iron clapper.
She said she was told it would have only fetched $300-$400 if sold.
"It wasn't worth as much as I guess they thought it was going to be worth," she said.
A second bell
Antique collector Chris Ayoub said he drove around local scrap metal yards where he found the bell.
"Ironically, initially I went there to deliver some scrap earlier in the week and whilst I was there I actually purchased another bell," he said.
"Being a lover of history, whenever I see old things I'll have to save it and the scrap dealer mentioned he may have had another bell there, a much larger one.
We couldn't get to it but we kind of looked at it and went, 'Ah that could be something interesting.'"
He said he returned on Thursday.
"I got him to dig it out for us and today I went and had a look and we both came to the conclusion that it was potentially that stolen bell," he said.
Mr Ayoub said the scrap metal worker was "shocked".
He said the other bell he bought earlier in the week appeared to be a school bell.
The Vacy Public School bell, just 8 kilometres away from Paterson, went missing several months ago.
But Mr Ayoub said the bell he acquired had a different base to that bell.
People power wins
Paterson Historical Society president Cameron Archer said there was a strong attachment to the bell in the community, which was left grieving when the bell was taken.
"It is great news, it is just wonderful news," he said.
Mr Archer said the bell was cracked from being rung with "much jubilation" to mark Armistice Day, ending WW1, in 1918.
That cracking is how it has been identified.
"It just signifies how important that was and what it meant to Australia," he said.
After the call went out to find the bell, Mr Archer said everyone rallied to help.
"You can't beat people power," he said.
The bell would be collected on Thursday and travel back to Paterson, where Ms Shirvington said it would be restored.
Written by Giselle Wakatama, Nakita Jager and Ben Clifford, ABC News.
The bell was cut from its supports in a structure outside the former St Ann's Presbyterian Church at Paterson.
Police said thieves took it between June 5 and 8.
Police investigated the reported theft from St Ann's Church in Paterson. (Supplied: Facebook)
It was deconsecrated in 2009, and there are plans to convert the building into accommodation.
Found in a skip
The owner of the church, Louise Shirvington, said devastation turned to joy on Thursday when a Hunter antique collector found the bell at a Newcastle scrap metal yard.
"I couldn't believe it — the fact someone had gone out on their own to search for it blew me away," she said.
"It was in a really big skip bin being sent overseas to be melted down."
Ms Shirvington said the bell had some damage and was missing its iron clapper.
The 185-year-old Hunter Valley church bell was found at a scrap metal yard. (ABC News: Ben Clifford)
She said she was told it would have only fetched $300-$400 if sold.
"It wasn't worth as much as I guess they thought it was going to be worth," she said.
A second bell
Antique collector Chris Ayoub said he drove around local scrap metal yards where he found the bell.
"Ironically, initially I went there to deliver some scrap earlier in the week and whilst I was there I actually purchased another bell," he said.
"Being a lover of history, whenever I see old things I'll have to save it and the scrap dealer mentioned he may have had another bell there, a much larger one.
Chris Ayoub found the bell at a local scrap metal yard. (ABC News: Ben Clifford)
We couldn't get to it but we kind of looked at it and went, 'Ah that could be something interesting.'"
He said he returned on Thursday.
"I got him to dig it out for us and today I went and had a look and we both came to the conclusion that it was potentially that stolen bell," he said.
Mr Ayoub said the scrap metal worker was "shocked".
He said the other bell he bought earlier in the week appeared to be a school bell.
The Vacy Public School bell, just 8 kilometres away from Paterson, went missing several months ago.
But Mr Ayoub said the bell he acquired had a different base to that bell.
People power wins
Paterson Historical Society president Cameron Archer said there was a strong attachment to the bell in the community, which was left grieving when the bell was taken.
"It is great news, it is just wonderful news," he said.
Mr Archer said the bell was cracked from being rung with "much jubilation" to mark Armistice Day, ending WW1, in 1918.
That cracking is how it has been identified.
The foundation stone at St Ann's Presbyterian Church was laid in 1840. (Supplied: Facebook)
"It just signifies how important that was and what it meant to Australia," he said.
After the call went out to find the bell, Mr Archer said everyone rallied to help.
"You can't beat people power," he said.
The bell would be collected on Thursday and travel back to Paterson, where Ms Shirvington said it would be restored.
Written by Giselle Wakatama, Nakita Jager and Ben Clifford, ABC News.
