You can hear a pin drop in the old bell tower above St Hilda's Anglican Church in Katoomba, but Reverend Ray Robinson hopes a project two years in the making will change that.
"Bells won't be ringing here in time for this Christmas," Rev Robinson said, "but, God willing, they will be ready by next Christmas."
The church's only bell is no longer safe to sound, but a development application will be determined by council in the first half of 2015 for an internal upgrade of the tower to accommodate six large, donated bells.
"They will be played as a peal of bells when our services are on, at weddings and maybe at midday or one of the bells on the hour," Rev Robinson said.
"Bell-ringing is quite a skill because you have to time the ringing of each bell very precisely so it sounds right with the others.
"A master ringer will conduct each piece, rather like an orchestra.
"We'll invite members of the community to become bell ringers and do rehearsals, during which times we will adjust specially-designed louvres installed inside the tower to close off the sound to the outside."
Rev Robinson said it was tradition to give church bells names, so the six bells would be called Worship, Grow, Share, Love, Power and Praise.
Four of the bells were cast in a foundry in England last month and recently arrived in Australia and one bell was donated by Ron Shepherd from the Australia and New Zealand Association of Bell-ringers.
The oldest and most interesting bell was sourced from Bull Sand Fort on an island in the Humber estuary in Leicestershire, England, that was used as a military facility in the First and Second World Wars.
"The reason we are doing this project is because the community approached us," Rev Robinson said.
"But upgrading the bell tower and installing and tuning the bells costs money, so it may take up to another 12 months.
"People have been very generous and a big thank you must go to the Katoomba Chamber of Commerce and Community which has contributed significantly.
"We are also currently applying for government grants."
Rev Robinson said all six bells should arrive by Easter when they will be on display.
