Creek Street, Brisbane
1905 W.G. Rendall, reb. J.W. Walker 1983-84;
3 manauls, 40 speaking stops, 9 couplers, el.pn.
Photo: MQ
Information from the 1989 OHTA Conference handbook and Simon Pierce's website:
This organ was originally built by W. G. Rendall in 1905. Frederick Ernst Ladegast was the foreman and his hand can be seen in the werkprinzip layout of the organ, with the Swell above the Great which is in turn above the unenclosed Choir. The Pedal has four chests located on either side of the manual soundboards. The manual soundboards were supplied by Norman & Beard of Norwich. The case was built by King's of Brisbane. The pipework appears to be older than 1900 and may contain parts of the Gray & Davidson organ of Pitt Street Congregational Church, Sydney.
Although this instrument started out in life as an Australian-made job, utilising new technology with its electro-pneumatic action, like many pioneers it was not entirely satisfactory in execution. The organ was highly erratic and the story goes that when the trams ran down Ann St, when they reached the church they would drain the power and the organ would stop playing!
In 1908, before the instrument was five years old, the original electric action was replaced with a more reliable tubular-pneumatic one, and another Diapason 8' was added to the Great, the original proving inadequate to its surroundings. This was carried out by B. B. Whitehouse and there is a signature of Arthur Langham, the foreman, high up on the case and dated 1907.
More stops were added in 1922. Changes were made in 1935, 1941 and 1955 but the most significant was a complete rebuild by J.W. Walker and Sons in 1983-4. Paul Fulcher voiced the organ.
Specification |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GREAT Double Diapason Open Diapason Clarabella Principal Wald Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Fourniture Trumpet Swell to Great Choir to Great SWELL Bourdon Violin Diapason Vox Celeste Lieblich Gedackt Octave Harmonic Flute Piccolo Mixture Cornopean Oboe Clarion Swell Sub Octave Swell Super Octave Swell unison Off CHOIR Rohr Gedackt Lieblich Flute Nazard Principal Tierce Clarinet Orchestral Trumpet Swell to Choir |
16 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 IV 8 16 8 8 8 4 4 2 III 8 8 4 8 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 8 8 |
* ** New Revoiced formerly Gemshorn formerly II Revoiced Revoiced Revoiced New New *** Revoiced New - replaced Tuba |
PEDAL Acoustic Bass Open Diapason Violone Bourdon Principal Violon Cello Bass Flute Fifteenth Flute Mixture Contra Fagotto Schalmei Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal Choir to Pedal Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Choir to Pedal Swell Tremulant Choir Tremulant ACCESSORIES 6 Thumb Pistons to Great 6 Thumb Pistons to Swell 4 Thumb Pistons to Choir 6 Toe Pistons to Pedal Great+Pedal Combinations coupled Reversible Thumb Piston Swell to Great Reversible Thumb Piston Swell to Pedal Reversible Thumb Piston Great to Pedal General Cancel Combination Setter Thumb Piston Key Switch for Capture System Swell Pedal Control pneumatic Blanced Swell pedal (mechanical) |
32 16 16 16 8 8 8 4 4 III 16 4 |
+ ++ + ++ +++ Revoiced ++++ |
|
* ex Great Open Diapason No. 2 8'
** ex Choir Dulciana 8' or Great Keraulophon 8'
*** ex Choir Flautina 2'
+ ex Great Open Diapason No.1 8'
++ ex Choir Bourdon 16'
+++ ex Great Mixture III and Choir Open Diapason 8'
++++ ex Choir Orchestral Oboe 8'
Photos: Trevor Bunning (Oct. 2007)