The nave of St Mary's Cathedral was commenced under Bishop Serra and Brother Ascione and opened in 1863. The transepts and sanctuary, in a spacious Perpendicular Gothic idiom, were built in sandstone in 1925-26 to the design of Cavanagh & Cavanagh. Michael Cavanagh had been born in Victoria in 1860, studied at the Adelaide School of Art and was studying in England 1887-88, starting his practice in Adelaide in 1891 and moving to Perth by 1898 (the year when he was elected FRIBA) where he was in partnership with his brother James Francis. Their plans to rebuild the nave on the same scale have not been realised although provision can be seen in the side walls for grafting in the new parts of the nave. The 1920s work includes large multi-light windows filled with colourful glass designed and executed by John Hardman and Company of Birmingham. The sanctuary and transepts have elaborate plaster vaulting in a Gothic idiom. The building boasts an outstanding acoustical environment for organ music.
The organ, originally of two manuals, was built in 1910 by J.E. Dodd and was rated by former organist and noted composer Dr C. Edgar Ford as "the finest small organ in Australia", its effect complemented by the astounding acoustic. Its tonal design was almost identical to the organ in Wesley Church, Perth. The instrument was rebuilt and considerably enlarged in 1964 by J.E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works, Adelaide. New electro-pneumatic action was installed in place of the original tubular-pneumatic, a new stopkey console supplied, and the organ resited on a new gallery in the south transept behind a new case of Gothic design. There is much borrowing and extension on the Choir and Pedal, but the overall effect of the organ is extremely impressive, with pipework of excellent quality.
| GREAT Violone Open Diapason Melodic Diapason Clarabel Gamba Gedact Dulciana Principal Gamba Harmonic Flute Twelfth Super Octave Gamba Gamba Mixture 15.19.22 Trumpet Tuba Closed Horn Clarion SWELL Geigen Diapason Hohl Flute Viole d'Orchestre Vox Angelica II Octave Flauto Traverso Super Octave Mixture 15.19.22 Double Trumpet Trumpet Oboe Clarion Tremulant CHOIR Lieblich Gedact Violin Diapason Stopped Diapason Gedact Salicional Octave Flute Salicet Nazard Piccolo Tierce Closed Horn Clarinet Trumpet Tuba Tuba Clarion Tremulant PEDAL Major Bass Open Diapason Violone Subbass Bourdon Quint Principal Bass Flute String Salicional Octave Quint Super Octave Octave Flute Mixture Ophicleide Double Trumpet Trumpet Clarion |
16 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 4 2-2/3 2 2 1-3/5 III 8 8 8 4 8 8 8 8 4 4 2 III 16 8 8 4 16 8 8 8 8 4 4 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 8 8 8 8 4 16 16 16 16 116 10-2/3 8 8 8 8 5-1/3 4 4 IV 16 16 8 4 |
A * * * A * * * A * A A A B* H G B* * * * * * * * C C C D* E D* F E D F D D G B H H I* A J* D* J I* J A F J I J H* C C C |
* Dodd stops from 1910
D* = ex 1910 Swell
Compass: 61/30
12 couplers
Electro-pneumatic action
Detached stopkey (horseshoe) console
• Building, vol.5, no.26 (12 May 1925), p.1, 158
• Directory of British Architects 1834–1914, updated edition. London: Continuum, 2001, vol.1, p.348
• Complete specification researched by Patrick Elms
From OHTA News April 2007, South Island Organ Company Ltd reports:
In September 2006, SIOC dismantled and packed the 1910 Dodd/1963 Gunstar organ at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Perth in preparation for the planned rebuilding of both the organ and the Cathedral. The part of the 1860s nave adjoining the transepts will be demolished to make way for a new transept wide nave that will spaciously integrate the 1930 east end with the 1860s west end. The historic west end including the tower is being retained with the addition of a new suspended choir and organ gallery and matching access tower. The firm will rebuild the three-manual organ to fit the west end position, with a redesigned case, new console and computerised electrical transmission system, and redesigned specification with less stop duplexing and seven additional ranks of pipes in the Dodd style. Completion of the rebuilt organ is planned for early 2009 after the reopening of the Cathedral in 2008.
The new specification will be:
| Great Bourdon Contra Gamba Open Diapason Melodic Diapason Claribel Flute Gedact Gamba Dulciana Principal Orchestral Flute Gamba Twelfth Super Octave Tierce Mixture Trombone Tromba Clarion Swell Sub Octave to Great Swell to Great Swell Octave to Great Choir Sub Octave to Great Choir to Great Choir Octave to Great Swell Bourdon Geigen Diapason Hohl Flute Lieblich Gedact Viole d'Orchestre Voix Celestes Octave Flauto Traverso Fifteenth Mixture Double Trumpet Anglaise Horn Oboe Vox Humana Clarion Tremulant Sub Octave Super Octave Choir (enclosed except Tuba) Violin Diapason Harmonic Flute Stopped Diapason Salicional Vox Angelica Octave Lieblich Flute Salicet Nazard Harmonic Piccolo Tierce Larigot Sifflute Clarinet Closed Horn Trompette Tremulant Tuba Tuba Clarion Sub Octave Super Octave Swell Sub Octave to Choir Swell to Choir Swell Octave to Choir Pedal Major Bass Open Diapason Contra Gamba Subbass Echo Bourdon Quint Octave Principal Bass Flute Gamba Fifteenth Octave Flute Mixture Contra Posaune Ophecleide Trombone Double Trumpet Tromba Clarion Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell Octave to Pedal Choir to Pedal Choir Octave to Pedal |
16 16 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 III 16 8 4 16 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2 III 16 8 8 8 4 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 1-1/3 1 8 8 8 8 4 16 16 16 16 16 10-2/3 8 8 8 8 4 4 IV 32 16 16 16 8 4 |
H* A G I A A 15.19.22 * L* L* L* D* D* II 17.19.22 E* * * E* M N* J K * M J K O* N* O* N* C C F (wood) G (metal) A H D H F* I* H A * H 12.15.19.22 * C* C L* E L* L* |
* new pipework (2009)
From Organ Australia, December 2007, John Hargraves (SIOC) writes:
We are rebuilding and transplanting a redundant 2/18 1905 Hobday organ from New Zealand for the east-end chapel of the Blessed Sacrement. The two organs will be integrated with a Peterson ICS-4000 ethernet transmission system enabling them to be played together or separately from either console. Completion is planned for 2009.