Christ Church Anglican Church
St Kilda

Hill & Son 1859, reb. Meadway & Slatterie 1916
3 manuals, 26 speaking stops, tubular-pneumatic action

The organ in this church is the earliest authenticated example of a church organ sent to Australia by the noted London firm of Hill & Son, the firm's job number 1025. Built in 1859, it was opened on 29 January 1860.

Originally placed at the west end of the church, it was later placed in its present location - a chamber opening off the south wall of the chancel.

George Fincham replaced the two Hill manual slider chests in 1874 and in 1916 there was a major rebuilding by the Melbourne firm of Meadway & Slatterie, at which time the previous mechanical action was converted to tubular-pneumatic, a new attached drawstop console in oak provided and a Choir Organ of four stops added, together with other minor changes noted below. E.P. Meadway was a former employee of Norman & Beard in England who arrived in Melbourne c.1912 to install the Norman & Beard organ at St Peter's Church; J.W. Slatterie, born in Melbourne, was a former apprentice of George Fincham who had worked in London with Hill & Son.

The 1859 specification follows:

GREAT Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Principal Flute TC Twelfth Fifteenth Sesquialtera 3 ranks Trumpet SWELL Double Stopped Diapason Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Principal Cornopean PEDAL Open Wood (small)

8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 8 16 8 8 4 8 16

compass: 54/42/27
oak case
complete in shop £320 (10%) [probably commission]

from the Hill & Son order book


The 1916 specification follows:

GREAT Open Diapason Hohl Flute Stopped Diapason Dulciana Principal Wald Flute Fifteenth Mixture 3 ranks Trumpet SWELL Bourdon Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Echo Gamba Voix Celeste Octave Piccolo Horn Oboe Tremulant CHOIR (enclosed) all 1916 Violin Diapason Leiblich Gedact Flute Clarionet PEDAL Open Diapason Bourdon Principal Bass Flute

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

1916: on Flute 4 slide [Hill?] on Twelfth slide revised to 19.22.26 1978 Laurie Pipe Organs 1916: on rear clamp TC 1916: on rear clamp [Fincham?] 1910: Fincham & Son, on front clamp 1910: Fincham & Son Stopped metal A B [Fincham?] A 1916 B 1916

9 couplers
pressure tubular pneumatic action
mechanical manual to pedal coupling
balanced mechanical swell pedals
compass: 61/30 (Great and Swell have top note machines f# - c)

Photos JRM