BellBoard

Laura Mary Ivey OAM

1939 to 2025

Laura learned to ring at a young age in Hailsham and Hellingly, Sussex. Her father, George Beeney, and brother, Frank Beeney, were also ringers. Laura rang her first peal at the age of 14 (at St Peter and St Paul, Hellingly on 29 May 1954) and went on to ring 20 peals over her lifetime.

Laura migrated to Perth, Australia in the late 1960s, and became a dedicated member of the St George’s Cathedral Bellringers Association, additionally serving as Captain, Vice-Captain and long-time Treasurer. When The Bell Tower (Swan Bells) opened in December 2000, Laura was one of first members of the St Martin’s Society of Change Ringers and served as the Society’s inaugural Treasurer.

Laura was an encouraging presence to all ringers, ensuring that everyone felt an important member of the band. Laura was an excellent ringer and a dedicated teacher, providing encouragement and support as well as seeking out opportunities for others, espsecially “the youngsters”. She was a prolific quarter peal ringer with over 1800 performances currently recorded on BellBoard. Laura was elected to the Ancient Society of College Youths on 11 July 2000, proposed by Laith Reynolds and seconded by David Knewstub.

In addition to ringing, Laura was one of the first bellringing demonstrators at the Swan Bells, spending countless hours each week explaining and demonstrating bellringing to the general public. Volunteering her time in this way significantly enhanced the visitor experience to the tower and gave non-ringing visitors a greater appreciation of what bellringing is.

In 2002, Laura was made an Honorary Life Member of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers (ANZAB) in recognition of her outstanding commitment to ringing over many years and promoting ringing and ANZAB membership on every possible occasion.

Laura also made significant contributions to the wider community. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen's Birthday 1998 honours list for service to the community as a fundraiser for the Cancer Research Institute of Western Australia and for other charitable organisations. Fundraising efforts initiated by Laura continue still.

Laura was a friend to all and saw the best in everyone. She was always the first to greet visitors and make them feel welcome. She was also adept at ensuring all visitors to the Swan Bells purchased the obligatory ringing shirt! Laura had an amazing memory and maintained connections with a huge number of people. For Laura, strangers were just people she hadn’t met yet.

In recent years, health issues prevented Laura from ringing. However, she still attended social events when she could and was an avid user of BellBoard, keeping abreast of all the ringing that was happening worldwide and always sending congratulations to ringers she knew on their achievements.

Laura was a mainstay of the Western Australian ringing community for over 60 years and will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Josclyn Sloan and Vicki Greenhalgh.