Glen Innes
1923 J.E. Dodd, Adelaide. Enl. 1929 Whitehouse Bros., Brisbane (2/11 electro-pneumatic)
From 1998 OHTA Conference booklet:
Presbyterianism in the Glen lnnes area began with The Revd Archibald Cameron, a most fervent preacher renowned for his marathon sermons and who ministered to the Scottish pioneers of Wellingrove in 1854. The foundation stone of the first Presbyterian church was laid on 13 February 1866, but it was not until 6 February 1870 that the Glen lnnes church was finally opened and dedicated. At an annual Congregational meeting in 1908 it was resolved that a suitable, central site for the erection of a new church be secured. In 1914 a certain John Rogerson donated the required blocks of land on Macquarie Street, and pald for the taxes until the church buildings were completed. It was not until 1919 that work was commenced on the present church, building progress having been retarded by the First World War. From seven builders who tendered, Mr EW Hickey a Iocal contractor, was successful. The foundation stone ceremony was carried out by the State Moderator The Revd G.A. Gordon on 4 February 1920. [1]
The main entrance of the church, facing Macquarie Street has two flights of stairs 4.27m wide. The memorial foundation stone is to be found on the wall midway. The tower is 24.4m square while the vestibule is 9.1m x 8.23m. The roof is of the hammer-beam truss principle and features Richmond River pine. Behind the centrally placed pulpit stands the organ, presented by the Cameron family. Built by J.E. Dodd in 1923, the dedication service was held on Sunday 24 February. On the following Thursday the organist and choirmaster, Mr John Sinclair, gave the first recital in which he declared the organ to be the 'crowning gift of all, completing the efforts of the congregation'.[2]
In 1929, Whitehouse Bros. added the Great Dulcet 4' and the Swell Violin Diapason 8'. A rebuild by the same firm was begun in 1978 but was not completed by 1982, by which time that firm had gone out of business. In 1985 Brown & Arkley carried out the rebuild with Kelvin Hastie as consultant. The work included moving the detached Dodd console to its present location, the refurbishment of the Whitehouse action and some tonal work.
The current specification is: [3]
| GREAT Open Diapason Claribel Dulciana Principal Harmonic Flute Fifteenth SWELL Violin Diapason Hohl Flute Gamba Gemshorn Oboe tremulant PEDAL Bourdon Bass Flute compass 58/30 detached stopkey console electro-pneumatic action COUPLERS Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell to Great Swell Sub Octave Swell Super Octave Swell Sub to Great Swell Octave to Great Great Octave |
8 8 8 4 4 2 8 8 8 4 8 16 8 |
A A B B C C |
[1] The Jubilee Year of the Cameron Memorial Church, Glen Innes, N.S.W, 1970, pp.4-10 passim.
[2] lbid., p.13.
[3] Specification supplied by Kelvin Hastie, June 1998.
Photos: Trevor Bunning (Sept. 2007)