MEPS was originally built by Hetherington & Pritchard Building Contractors in 1959 and my father was Arthur Pritchard.

In 1962 he built Moree Fire Station. The old fire station had this bell on a high pole in the yard from when it was first built in 1916. 

It had to be removed to make way for the new building. 

The bell and pole were given to my father by the Board of Fire Commissioners because he wanted to donate it to the school he had recently built.

As a child I remember him working on both these jobs and being told how the school got its bell. 

I lived at home with my parents in Balo Street, a block from the school, until 1970, and we always knew when children were in the playground at weekends because we would hear them ringing the bell.

In Noeline Briggs-Smith's book, Moree Mob, in the chapter cataloguing Wiradjuri School, it is recorded that the school closed in 1971 and the bell was removed to MEPS. 

However, the Department of Education has documented proof that children at MEPS were ringing their bell in the 1960s!

It is admirable that someone wants to acknowledge the efforts of the Aunties at Wiradjuri School, but trying to reclaim a bell that did not come from there is inappropriate.

I am also disappointed that Noeline Briggs-Smith brought racism into this story because it is irrelevant, and does not give any credit to the improvement in relations between townspeople over recent years.

I have tried to obtain the bell from MEPS myself on behalf of Moree District Historical Society, to have it displayed with other Fire Brigade memorabilia when we eventually get a museum, but I have been assured that it will remain the property of MEPS.

In Moree Mob there is a photo of the Wiradjuri School bell on page 206 and it is not the same as the bell at MEPS, which is on page 211. As to the whereabouts of the former, who knows? Perhaps it was stolen!!

James Pritchard

Moree

To read the Moree Champion's story on James' response, click here. To read the original story on Noeline's view, click here. To read Noeline's responding letter, click here.