As dusk descends on Bathurst's Machattie Park in Central West New South Wales, bells can be heard tolling joyfully from the nearby All Saints Cathedral.

Inside the bell tower, six people rhythmically pull numbered ropes that have plush carpet grips.

These Bathurst bellringers are continuing a tradition that began in England in the 1600s.

"It's such a secret society, but such a lovely community," Bathurst ringing master Oriana Zanon said.

The pinnacle of bellringing is a peal, a continuous ringing of the bells for hours.

It is both mentally and physically taxing, and many peal attempts fail.

Later this year, Ms Zanon will join ringers from central west NSW and Sydney to attempt a peal in the Bathurst church tower to honour 98-year-old Bathurst ringer Chris Bacon, reputed to be the world's oldest bellringer.

Hard to learn

The type of bellringing practised in Bathurst is known as "change ringing", which features brass bells attached to wooden wheels.

Music compositions known as "methods" resemble rows of code rather than music notes, and are written for six to 12 bell ringers.

Highly regimented and steeped in tradition, bellringing groups are known as "bands".

Players are assigned roles like ring masters, who run the band; steeple keepers, who maintain the bells; and tower captains, who guide and mentor their groups.

Taking up ringing in his 70s, Chris Bacon was drawn to the camaraderie between bellringers.

During the construction of the Bathurst belltower in 2009, experienced ringers from Sydney came out to the central west to train Mr Bacon and the band.

"They'd go back on Sunday night to pick up their normal jobs in Sydney," he said.

Ms Zanon said to be still ringing at his age made Mr Bacon a "complete anomaly".

"It's really hard to learn. It can take 12 weeks to learn how to put two strokes together," she said.

"Normally, if you're 98 and ringing, you've been ringing since you were 12."

Training for a musical marathon

Just up the highway, the town of Orange is home to one of the world's most accomplished ringers.

Jim Woolford is the tower captain for the Orange Pealers and former master ringer at churches across the UK, and Sydney's St Mary's and St Andrew's cathedrals.

Having participated in thousands of peals for weddings, funerals or dignitaries, he fuels himself like a marathon runner, monitoring hydration and blood sugar levels.

"There is considerable mental and physical stamina required," Mr Woolford said

"It is a delightful experience at a high level."

Mr Woolford trains other ringers in Orange using a TV screen in the belltower as a simulator.

"We have a practice on a Monday, another practice on a Tuesday and then we have one-on-one sessions using the simulator," he said.

"Because of all that, the standards are very high here."

Mr Woolford said he was focusing on preparing his younger ringers to teach the art themselves.

"There are lots of towers across the world where the bells are not rung anymore because there are no teachers, no people with the expertise," he said.

Secret handshake business

Some ringers are continuing personal traditions.

Bathurst steeple keeper Richard Hurford is a fourth-generation ringer, with his great-grandfather George Hurford the city's first.

"The only generation they didn't ring was my dad because of World War II," Mr Hurford said

"My son has started ringing now. I feel part of a very ancient tradition."

Jim Woolford said the culture of bellringing was its defining feature.

"You have friends for life, wherever in the world they are," he said.

Ms Zanon said the craft remains a well-kept secret.

"You only know about bellringing if you're a bellringer," she said.