Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral
Bendigo.

Bishop & Son, London, 1904.
Rebuilt 1986-87 Australian Pipe Organs. 4 manuals, 51 speaking stops





Sacred heart Cathedral, Bendigo, Australia's largest provincial church, is dramatically sited and impressive in scale. It was designed by Reed, Smart & Tappin in the Decorated Gothic style and built of sandstone and granite. The nave was built in 1896-1901 and the building completed 1954-77. It comprises a seven bay nave, narthex, crossing, apsidal sanctuary, three-bay transepts, and four octagonal chapels flanking the crossing. The exterior is dominated by a crossing tower and spire, and the west front with prominent flanking turrets. It is believed to be the only cathedral completed in the 20th century in an authentic Decorated Gothic style. [Victorian Churches: their origins, their story & their architecture, edited by Miles Lewis. East Melbourne; National Trust of Australia (Victoria), 1991, p.105]

The interior is notable for its hammerbeam roof, west window by Hardman of Birmingham, and divided organ by Bishop & Son, London (1904). The twentieth century work was largely executed by sixteen craftsmen, most of whom were Italians brought to Australia for the purpose.

Bishop and Son's world-wide connection with the Catholic Church was further extended in 1904 by their gaining the contract for a large new organ for the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Bendigo, Australia, the building of which was commenced in September 1896 and opened on 29 September 1901. Lewis and Company, together with the Bishop firm, were invited to tender and the contract was worth some £2,000 ex works plus £500 for packing, freight charges and erection in the Cathedral. The contract for the instrument was signed on 16 January 1904, the official opening took place on 7 December 1905 and the opening recital, by Ernest Wood, on 6 May 1906. The very comprehensive specification was as follows:


Photo JRM

Compass of manuals CC - C, 61 notes and Pedal Organ CCC - F, 30 notes

GREAT ORGAN
Contra Gamba
Open Diapason
Open Diapason
Clarabella
Doppel Flöte
Principal
Harmonic Flute
Fifteenth
Mixture
Double Trumpet
Harmonic Trumpet
Clarion

SWELLORGAN
Bourdon
Violin Diapason
Rohr Flute
Vox Angelica
Voix Celestes
Geigen Principal
Flautina
Mixture
Contra Fagotto
Cornopean
Oboe
Clarion

CHOIR ORGAN
Viol di Gamba
Dulciana
Lieblich Gedacht
Wald Flute
Harmonic Piccolo
Clarinet

SOLO ORGAN
Harmonic Flute
Flauto Traverso
Orchestral Oboe
Tuba

PEDAL ORGAN
Contra Open Diapason
Open Diapason
Violone
Bourdon
Octave
Flute Bass
Trombone
Trumpet

16
8
8
8
8
4
4
2
IV rks
16
8
4


16
8
8
8
8
4
2
III rks
16
8
8
4


8
8
8
4
2
8


8
4
8
8


32
16
16
16
8
8
16
8










































(19"x 17")
(14" x 12 1/2")
(4 3/4" x 6 1/8")
(10"x 8")
(extension)
(extension)
(bottom octave wood, 8" x 8")
(extension)


12 couplers.
Tremulant to Swell and Solo Organs by pedal.
8 pistons, 8 composition pedals.
Concave and parallel pedal board.
Blowing by two electric motors operating crank and feeder gear.
Tubular-pneumatic action throughout.
Divided case on West gallery.

Wind pressures:
Great flues 3 1/2 ", reeds 6"
Swell flues 3 1/2 ", reeds 6"
Choir 3". Solo flues 3 1/2 ", Tuba 8"
Pedal flues 4", reed 8"

The soundboards were of best Honduras mahogany; the pedal board was concave and parallel with radiating sharps and the keys were of 12cut ivory. Pipework to the 4 foot pipe of each stop was of spotted metal. The organ was rebuilt in 1951 by Hill, Norman and Beard (Australia) Pty Ltd when it was reduced to three manuals, and in 1986-87 by Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd when it was returned to four manuals with a new drawstop console, the sides of which were modelled upon the original. The instrument now has 51 speaking stops. All of the original Bishop & Son pipework survives except for the Choir Viol di Gamba 8, Wald Flute 4, Solo Harmonic Flute 8. Flauto Traverso 4 and Orchestral Oboe 8. The original Solo windchest was discarded by Hill, Norman & Beard. The wooden bottom octave of the Pedal Violone has been replaced in zinc pipework. The outstanding divided cases were designed by the organbuilders and constructed in teak.

The south case contains the Swell Organ, Solo Tuba, Pedal Open Diapason 16, Violone, Bourdon and Trombone. The north case contains the Great and Choir Organs and the Pedal Double Open Diapason 32. Each side has a separate blowing and humidification plant.


Cyril Cowling at the original Bishop console 1920s


Photo JRM



THE PIPE ORGAN of SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL, BENDIGO.

The organ was built by Bishop and Sons, London in 1904 and erected in the cathedral in 1906. It was rebuilt in 1951 by Hill Norman & Beard Australia. In 1987 it was fully refurbished by Australian Pipe Organs Pty. Ltd.


The current specification (supplied by the Cathedral organist, John Hogan, Dec. 2006) is:

 
GREAT ORGAN
11. Contra Gamba
12. Open Diapason 1
13. Open Diapason 2
14. Clarabella
15. Doppel Flute
16. Principal
17. Harmonic Flute
18. Fifteenth
19. Mixture
20. Double Trumpet
21. Trumpet
22. Clarion

(d) Swell to Great
(e) Choir to Great
(f) Solo to Great

SWELL ORGAN
23. Bourdon
24. Violin Diapason
25. Rohrflute
26. Viola da Gamba
27. Viole celeste
28. Principal
29. Flautina
30. Mixture
31. Contra fagotto
32. Cornopean
33. Oboe
34. Clarion

(g) Swell Octave
(h) Tremulant

CHOIR ORGAN
1. Gedeckt
2. Dulciana
3. Gemshorn
4. Nazard
5. Harmonic Piccolo
6. Tierce
7. Nineteenth
8. Twentysecond
9. Calrinet
10. Tuba

(a) Swell to Choir
(b) Solo to Choir
(c) Tremulant

SOLO ORGAN
35. Tuba
36. Octave Tuba

(i) Great Reeds to Solo

PEDAL ORGAN
37. Double Open Wood
38. Open Wood
39. Violone
40. Gamba
41. Bourdon
42. Octave
43. Principal
44. Flute
45. Fifteenth
46. Octave Flute
47. Quartane
48. Contra Trombone
49. Trombone
50. Trumpet
51. Bassoon

(j) Great to Pedal
(k) Swell to Pedal
(l) Choir to Pedal
(m) Solo to Pedal
(n) Great & Pedal pistons
coupled

Manual compass 61 notes
Pedal compass 30 notes
Total Pipes 2548

16
8
8
8
8
4
4
2
IV
16
8
4






16
8
8
8
8
4
2
IV
16
8
8
4





8
8
4
2-2/3
2
1-3/5
1-1/3
1
8
8






8
4




32
16
16
16
16
8
8
8
4
4
II
32
16
8
4








(19.22.26.29)
















(15.19.22.26)


















(Solo)















(Great)






(19.22)



OTHER ORGANS

In the crossing there is a small portable box organ built by Aug.Laukhuff, Weikersheim and supplied in 1982 by Bellsham Pipe Organs.

It has the following stops: 8.4.2.1-1/3


Photo JRM


In the south transept is temporarily located an English chamber organ built in the 1860s by an unknown builder, possibly Francis Nicholson, of Newcastle, according to evidence within the pallet box. It was initially placed in the Wesleyan Church, Mt Erica, Prahran in the late 1860s and moved to the Wesleyan Church, Daylesford in 1871. It was installed at the Wesleyan Church, Clunes in 1882. This building is now part of the Wesley College Clunes Campus and the instrument has been fully restored in New Zealand, as the result of a generous benefaction, by the South Island Organ Company, of Timaru and placed on a moveable platform. When restoration of the former church in Clunes is complete, the organ will return there, but is currently on loan to Sacred Heart Cathedral.


Photo JRM


MANUAL
Open Diapason
Stop Diapason Bass
Stopd Diapason Treble
Keraulophon
Dulciana
Sw Principal
Fifteenth

8ft
[8]
[8]
[8]
[8]
4
[2]
TC
CC-BB
TC
TC
TC


Compass: 54/29
Pedal pulldowns
Three composition pedals
Lever swell pedal
Mechanical action



Photos JRM

Photos supplied by Simon Colvin and John Maidment