First Church of Christ Scientist
270 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst

J.E. Dodd 1925, rebuilt Whitehouse Bros. 1935 (3/39 electro-pneumatic)

The large orchestral-style organ in this building must be considered one of the most important historic organs from the post World War I period in New South Wales. It is a late example of the work of J. E. Dodd of Adelaide. Whilst it is acknowledged that Dodd's best work stems from the period before World War I, his total output has been much misunderstood and poorly treated. There is considerable evidence to suggest that Dodd was a great master and that his work was greatly admired by organists of his time.

This organ was built late in J.E.Dodd's career, the contract being signed in 1925 [1]. A number of difficulties plagued the action and soundboards and although Hill, Norman & Beard made some repairs in 1928-29, it became necessary for the organ to be rebuilt with new action and soundboards by Whitehouse Bros. of Brisbane in 1935. The Whitehouse firm were noted for the durability of their mechanical work and this coupled with the excellent tonal qualities of the Dodd pipework (much of it from Alfred Palmer & Sons) produced an organ of some distinction. Pitchford & Garside carried out an overhaul of the organ in 1979 which included the adding of solid-state key action. The firm made no changes to the specification and noted the quality of the instrument [2]. The stoplist is as follows; a number of pedal stops are derived from the manuals.

The organ is located behind a screen across the front of the 1,000 seat auditorium.

© PdL 2006

Great Double Open Diapason Open Diapason, No. 1 Open Diapason, No. 2 Stopped Diapason Claribel Flute Octave Harmonic Flute Fifteenth Tuba Swell Contra Viol Open Diapason Rohr Flute Salicional Voix Celeste Octave Harmonic Piccolo Mixture Contra Fagotta Cornopean Oboe Tremulant Choir (enclosed) Lieblich Gedackt Viol da Gamba Dulciana Viola Flute Corno di Bassetto Orchestral Oboe Vox Humana Tuba Chimes Tremulant Tuba Tremulant Pedal Acoustic Bass Major Bass Open Diapason Bourdon Lieblich Bourdon Violone Octave Flute Mixture Trombone

16 8 8 8 8 4 4 2 8 16 8 8 8 8 4 2 V 16 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 8 8 8 8 32 16 16 16 16 16 8 8 III 16

B A D A C C B added c.1950 D C A

17 Couplers
Pedal Octave
Choir to Pedal
Choir Sub Octave
Choir Super Octave
Choir to Great
Choir Sub to Great
Choir Super to Great
Swell to Pedal
Swell Sub Octave
Swell Super Octave
Swell to Great
Swell Sub to Great
Swell Super to Great
Swell to Choir
Swell Sub to Choir
Swell Super to Choirr
Great to Pedal

Great and Pedal combinations coupled
Swell to Pedal reversible thumb and toe piston
Great to Pedal reversible thumb and toe piston
Swell to Great reversible thumb and toe piston
Full organ toe piston
5 pistons and 1 cancel piston to each manual
5 toe pistons and 1 cancel toe piston to Pedal

Electro-pneumatic action
Balanced swell pedals to Swell and Choir
Compass 61/30 [3]

1 Rushworth, Historic Organs of NSW p.194
2 Sydney Organ Journal Vo1.10.No.3, June/July1979,p.34.
3 ibid.


Additional information/corrections supplied by one of the church's organists, Robert Fox (March 2006).

3 photos above: Mark Quarmby 2006 (mobile phone camera)