Earthquake strengthening silences bells at iconic Rotorua clock tower

Earthquake strengthening and refurbishment of the iSite has moved to the tower end of the iconic Fenton St building. Photo/File

Wondering why you haven't been hearing the sound of bells from the iSite clock tower recently?

According to the Rotorua Lakes Council website, earthquake strengthening and refurbishment of the iSite has moved to the tower end of the iconic Fenton St building.

The historic clock and its chimes have been stopped while work is underway and will be reinstated when the work is finished which is expected to be early May.

Earthquake strengthening and refurbishment of the iSite has moved to the tower end of the iconic Fenton St building. Photo/File

"The tower, clock and bells are icons that make up a major part of the history of this building so protecting them is a priority," iSite manager Graham Brownrigg said.

The mechanical clockwork has been in place since approximately 1903 and work to reinstate the bells was carried out in 2014.

The Westminster chimes in the clock tower - five solid brass bells weighing about 2.5 tonnes in total - were reinstated in August 2014 after about 30 years of silence.

The chimes sound every 15 minutes with an hour bell sounding on the hour.

A photo inside the clock tower taken in 2005. Photo/File

More about the Seddon Memorial Town Clock:

-Named in honour of Premier Richard Seddon who died in 1906.
-A project of the Seddon Memorial Committee
-Clock and its bells manufactured to specifications by J B Joyce & Co, a company located in -Shropshire, UK and shipped to New Zealand.
-According to Council records it appears the clock and its chimes cost £300.
-Clock and bells, or Westminster chimes, installed in Rotorua's then post office building in 1914, the same year the building was opened.
-The Government of the time had to approve allowing for a clock tower in the post office.
-The clock is still wound up once a week.