Bellows

Bishop Rosendo Salvado established an apiary during New Norcia’s early days to produce honey for the fledgling monastery and mission. First he planted rosemary along the river to attract the bees, then built what would become a two-storey beehouse, which you can still visit today. Inside the wooden framed beehouse, beekeepers would pump smoke from bellows, including this one, to calm bees while removing honey-laden frames from their hives. Hives are still placed on various parts of the farm to produce honey for the present monastic community and for sale.