St Peter’s College Chapel, Hackney – exterior
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA, 2019 (last updated October 2019)
St Peter’s College Chapel, Hackney – exterior
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA, 2019 (last updated October 2019)
St Peter’s College was founded in 1847 and moved to its present site in 1854.1 It includes a fine collection of stone buildings in the Gothic style. The chapel, designed by Edward Angus Hamilton, was opened in 18642 and extended in 1873 through the addition of a chancel, sanctuary and flèche, and in 1877-1878 through the organ chamber and vestry.3 The seating is arranged in collegiate style and there is a fine collection of stained glass including a window by William Wailes, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
St Peter’s College Chapel, Hackney – organ
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
The organ built was built in 1877 by Bishop & Son, London, who exported at least four other organs to South Australia, at St Paul’s Church, Adelaide (now lost), St Peter’s Cathedral (now at St Augustine’s, Unley), St Michael’s, Mitcham and St Andrew’s, Walkerville (destroyed).4
| GREAT Open Diapason Claribel Dolce Principal Swell to Great SWELL Lieblich Gedact Viola Flauto Traverso Oboe PEDAL Lieblich Bourdon Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal |
8 8 8 4 8 8 4 8 16 |
gvd.bass gvd.bass |
Compass: 56/30
2 composition pedals to Great
Lever swell pedal
Mechanical key and stop action
Attached drawstop console5
It was rebuilt in 1974 by J.E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works. Apart from enlargement, the sound of the organ appears to have been strengthened to cope with congregational accompaniment, for which the original instrument must have been sadly inadequate. In 2015, electric stop action was introduced.
| GREAT Open Diapason Claribel Dulciana Principal Fifteenth Mixture Swell to Great |
8 8 8 4 2 II |
1974 |
|
| SWELL Gedact Viola Principal Nazard Piccolo Trumpet Oboe Swell octave Tremulant |
8 8 4 2-2/3 2 8 8 |
bass octave added 1974 1974 1974 from Flauto Traverso 1974 1955 |
|
| PEDAL Bourdon Flute Fagot Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal |
16 8 16 |
1974 1974 |
Compass: 56/30
Adjustable thumb & toe pistons
Balanced swell pedal
Attached drawstop console
Mechanical key action and electric stop action6
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Peter%27s_College_Adelaide, accessed 21 May 2019
2 SA Register, 26 July 1864, p.6; E.J.R. Morgan & S.H. Gilbert, Early Adelaide Architecture 1836 to 1886. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1969, p.148
3 St Peter’s College Big Quad Assessment at www.environment.sa.gov.au, accessed 17 October 2019
4 See the Gazetteer of South Australian Pipe Organs compiled by David Shield at www.ohta.org.au for further details
5 Specification from Bruce Allan Naylor, Gazetteer of Organs in South Australia (thesis, University of Adelaide, 1969), p.271
6 Specification noted from console photograph taken by Trevor Bunning October 2019
St Peter’s College Chapel, Hackney – console
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
St Peter’s College Chapel, Hackney – pipe decoration
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
St Peter’s College Chapel, Hackney
[photograph by Simon Colvin (October 2019)]
St Peter’s College Chapel, Hackney – Memorial Hall on right
[photographs by Simon Colvin (October 2019)]