Historical information

The school bell has been used in various forms for several centuries. In Australia and the UK it was often a hand bell, located on the teacher's desk in a small school. In larger schools it was positioned in a central area, and one bell was used to signal to all classrooms. In North America it was more usual to find a large bell on a stand located in a central area of the school where it could be heard by everyone throughout the premises. More recently, the school bell has become wall located, and electrically activated, using a mechanical timing apparatus. Now the same bell is computer programmed and activated, although there are many older bells still in operation.
The school bell was rung at the beginning at the school day, often to summon students to the morning assembly in larger schools. It was then rung throughout the day to signal the start and end of specific lesson periods, the beginning and end of school morning and afternoon breaks, the lunch period, and the end of the school day, no doubt eagerly awaited by many students!

Significance

The school bell was used as a timing device in schools to signal the start and end of specific activities.

Physical description

Bell brass with heavy metal square shaped base and wooden handle-hand held, Kel(?)her Melbourne on the top

Inscriptions & markings

Inscribed on the metal at the top of the bell are the letters "Kel(?)her Melbourne"