Dangar Street, Armidale
George Fincham, Melbourne, 1900
Rebuilt and moved to present building 1912 Griffin & Leggo, Sydney
2 manuals, 14 speaking stops, tubular-pneumatic action
Restored 1985 Roger H. Pogson, Sydney
2 manuals, 14 speaking stops, mechanical action
St Mary and St Joseph's Catholic Cathedral, Armidale
[Photograph by Trevor Bunning (September 2007)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by Kelvin Hastie and Pastór de Lasala
© OHTA 1998, 2014, 2016 (last updated May 2016)
The present Cathedral building of Pyrmont stone and Armidale polychrome brick was designed by Sheerin & Hennessy Sydney1 and was built by G.F. Nott (1911-12). Of Armidale's buildings it contributes in a most distinctive way to the city skyline. The noteworthy features of this building are the tie-rod hammerbeam roof, the cylindrical columns dividing the nave from the aisles, the turreted lantern tower with needle spire and a slate roof. Fine marble work can be seen in sanctuary and altar rail.2
St Mary and St Joseph's Catholic Cathedral, Armidale
[Photographs by Trevor Bunning (September 2007 & August 2010)]
The organ, built by George Fincham in 1900 at a cost of £545,3 was rebuilt and moved to the present building by Griffin & Leggo in 1912 during which time the instrument was divided into twin stencilled cases placed either side of the western gallery.4 The case on the liturgically north side contains only the Pedal Open Diapason. In 1985 restoration was carried out by Roger Pogson who changed the manual key action from tubular pneumatic to tracker.5
The Left and Right Cases of the Fincham organ
[Photographs by Trevor Bunning (August 2010)]
Console of the 1900 Fincham organ
[Photograph by Trevor Bunning (September 2007)]
| GREAT Bourdon Open Diapason Claribel Principal Flute Fifteenth SWELL Geigen Principal Lieblich Gedact Gamba Voix Celeste Piccolo Oboe PEDAL Open Diapason Bourdon COUPLERS Swell to Great Super Swell to Great Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal |
16 8 8 4 4 2 8 8 8 8 2 8 16 16 |
Swell Tremulant
Compass: 58/30
Mechanical action to manuals
Tubular-pneumatic action to pedals
Balanced swell pedal.6
St Mary and St Joseph's Catholic Cathedral, Armidale
[Photograph by Peter Jewkes (April 2016)
1 The Sydney Morning Herald (23 November, 1912).
2 Information supplied by John Maidment, April 1998.
3 Enid N. Matthew, Colonial Organs and Organbuilders (Carlton: Melbourne University Press, 1969), p. 185.
4 Graeme D. Rushworth, Historic Organs of New South Wales (Sydney: Hale & Iremonger, 1988), p. 164.
5 Information supplied by Dr Terry Norman, July 1998.
6 Specification supplied by Dr Terry Norman, July 1998.