As an eleven year old visiting Binna Burra Lodge in 1941, Raymond Smith remembered the best way to get a lot of food at meals times was just to say ‘Yes please!’ The more he said ‘Yes please’ the more his plate filled up with the country style home cooking that Binna Burra was famous for during the years of WW2.

He also remembered the Binna Burra bell that rang to alert all that the food was ready to serve at the Lodge.

On Tuesday 31 August 2021, the now retired Reverend Father Raymond Smith and his wife Allison were visiting the Binna Burra to rekindle memories from 80 years ago when they ran into Steve Noakes, the Chairperson of Binna Burra Lodge.

Built in 1910 for use on a Lahey’s Sawmill locomotive at Canungra, the bell was bought up to Binna Burra in 1934 and rang meal times for 86 years before the devastating bushfires of September 2019. It was the only survivor when the lodge burnt down and it now rests in the refurnished Tea House @ Binna Burra.

The small, but very heavy bell was lifted down from the new fireplace mantlepiece giving Raymond his first sound of the bell ringing again in 80 years!