A bell suspended on tall wooden posts is a replacement for the original prison bell on Signal Hill. The bell regulated the daily routine of the island prison and rang in festivities and emergencies.
From an information board next to the bell:
“Communicating with the rest of the world whilst on Rottest seems easy. We have
telephones, two-way radios, frequent ferry services, and even the flying doctors are easily accessible in case of emergencies.
Prior to 1900, however, the only reliable form of communication with the mainland was to send messages by boat. The journey could take up to eight hours each way! To improve communications, early Rottnest Islanders used this hill to send signals… using either flags, fires, or a heliograph.”
A bell suspended on tall wooden posts is a replacement for the original prison bell on Signal Hill. The bell regulated the daily routine of the island prison and rang in festivities and emergencies.
From an information board next to the bell:
“Communicating with the rest of the world whilst on Rottest seems easy. We have
telephones, two-way radios, frequent ferry services, and even the flying doctors are easily accessible in case of emergencies.
Prior to 1900, however, the only reliable form of communication with the mainland was to send messages by boat. The journey could take up to eight hours each way! To improve communications, early Rottnest Islanders used this hill to send signals… using either flags, fires, or a heliograph.”