Private Residence (former Methodist Church)
Craigie
B c.1865 Halmshaw & Sons, Birmingham.
Inst. unknown date ‘Cliffcote’, Beach Road, Sandringham,
residence of Dr Frank Shanassy.
Rem & erected 1924 Geo Fincham & Sons residence
of Dr Frank Shanassy, 3 Boyanda Road, Glen Iris.
Inst 1938 George Fincham & Sons Methodist Sunday School Hall,
Summerhill Road, Glen Iris.
Inst 1976 residence of Neil Shilton, Mentone. Inst present loc 2006.
1m, 4spst, pedal pulldowns, tr. Man: 8.8 divided.8.4.
This black & white image was taken by W.G.S. Smith at
the Methodist Sunday School Hall, Glen Iris before 1976
This is one of two examples of the work of the Birmingham firm of Halmshaw & Sons to be found in Australia, the other being at St Luke’s Anglican Church, Scone, NSW. Its date would appear to be around 1865 when the firm was known by this name, as recorded on the nameplate. The Halmshaw firm was founded around 1855 by Joseph Halmshaw, born around 1805 and continued by his son Henry Halmshaw, born around 1834 under various names and is understood to have closed in 1912.
It is not known when the organ arrived in Australia. Given its diminutive size and sound, it is uncertain whether it may have been built for a church. The Gothic casework, however, closely resembles the designs for small organs published in Scudamore Organs, by the Revd John Baron, published in 1858. These were for small organs of minimal depth, located against a side wall of a chancel. The side profile of the ‘Douglas Organ’ (plate 8) has resemblances to the Halmshaw.
The first known location of the Halmshaw organ was at ‘Cliffcote’, the residence of Dr Frank Shanassy, Beach Road Sandringham. It was moved in 1924 by George Fincham & Sons from there to his new residence at 3 Boyanda Road, Glen Iris (the house still exists). In 1938, after his death, the organ was sold to the Methodist Sunday School Hall, Summerhill Road, Glen Iris where it was installed by George Fincham & Sons. In 1976 it was sold to Neil Shilton, who installed it in his home in Mentone. In 2006, it was moved to its present location, a charming bluestone former Methodist Church built in 1868 which has been converted to a private house.
The instrument remains in a remarkable state of originality. The pipework, mainly of metal apart from the stopped bass, of wood, retains its cone tuning, pitch and voicing. The pine casework, which had been covered in brown varnish, was cleaned back by Neil Shilton, and the gold paint removed from the facade pipes, which are mainly non-speaking apart from the two longest on either side. The knee panel, made from tongue and groove boards, appears to have been replaced, but in sympathetic materials. The owner is planning to have further restoration work carried out to the pipework and action.
The owner writes that it has a beautiful sound - warm diapason, sweet flute and heavenly (although extraordinarily soft) Vox Angelica...!
MANUAL |
[8] [8] [8] [8] [4] |
tenor C CC-BB tenor C, metal with wooden stoppers tenor C |
Compass: 56/30
Mechanical key and stop action
All pipework originally enclosed except for 1-4 of Harmonic Flute
Lever swell pedal (dismantled)
The Rev. John Baron, M.A. Scudamore Organs: or practical hints respecting organs for village churches and small chancels on improved principles. London: Bell and Daldy, 1858.
The Freeman-Edmonds Directory of British Organ Builders (Oxford: Positif Press, 2002) vols 1 & 2
George Fincham & Sons letter books (State Library of Victoria)
Colour photos: Supplied by the owner
John Maidment
10 January 2010