Two Accounts About Three Church Bells

There are at least two accounts about three church bells having been brought to South Australia from Germany for Lutheran churches in the 1800 & 1900s. I recently became confused about the two stories that I had in mind.

I recently visited the Barossa Museum in Tanunda where I discovered this large, old church bell, along with its story: -

The bell was accompanied by these details: -

I immediately thought, “Great, it is a story that I had tried following once before. The museum guide directed me to the nearby Tanunda Tabor Lutheran Church where I could take some photos of the church and bell tower: -

Back at home, I managed to retrieve the original story that had come to mind. It turned out to be a completely different story. This story concerned three bells that were destined for the “Evangelical Lutheran Bethlehem Church” which opened in Flinders Street, Adelaide in 1872.

* (Now Bethlehem Lutheran Church Adelaide.)

According to https://sahistoryhub.history.sa.gov.au/places/bethlehem-lutheran-church, “The church is associated with the German migrant community. Its bell tower was intended to house three bells. The bells were reputedly cast in Germany from cannons captured from the French and presented by Prince Bismarck on behalf of the emperor*.”

* (During the Franco-Prussian War, 1870–71. They were a gift from Prince Otto von Bismarck, presented on behalf of the German Emperor.)

Further, according to the South Australian Advertiser of 2nd January 1873 and the Express and Telegraph of 24th June 1872, “It is intended to place in the belfry three bells, which are being cast in Germany out of cannon taken from the French during the late war, and presented by Prince Bismarck on behalf of the Emperor.” (See https://anzab.org.au/info/AustralianClocksAndBellsSummary_2020_12.pdf .

It seems that the bells never reached Adelaide at all. There is a suggestion that the ship carrying the bells was lost, and that the bells somehow arrived in Sydney in 1879 where they were exhibited at the Sydney International Exhibition. They are said to have  won a first prize at the exhibition.

There is a suggestion that the lost ship transporting the bells was possibly lost near Semaphore jetty in South Australia. I haven’t been able to find out any more details about the loss or disappearance of the three bells. If any of those bells were lost at Semaphore, or anywhere in South Australia, it would be great if they could be found soon.

Other than that, any details regarding the loss of any bell from a ship at Semaphore would be appreciated.

Despite the bells having won a first prize at the Sydney International Exhibition, they seemingly vanished from the public record after that.

According to Copilot AI, “The Sydney International Exhibition ran from September 1879 to April 1880 at the Garden Palace in The Domain. It featured over 14,000 exhibits from 34 countries and colonies, including heavy machinery, art, and handicrafts. While the exhibition was a major success, no detailed catalogue entry for the bells has yet surfaced in public archives.”

I have, at least, managed to separate these two similar stories. Here is some of the signage found at the Tanunda Tabor Lutheran Church: -