Residence of Stephen Date,
Ingall Street, Mayfield
First organ: 1968 J.P. Eagles ext. organ, originally in Condobolin,
1981 to St John's College Chapel, Morpeth, then to Sydney, converted to 2 manuals,
then to a Monastery, Campbelltown, then to Sans Souci 2000
bought by Stephen Date 2003.
2 manuals, 15 speaking stops, 2 ranks extended
Second organ: 2011 bought the Walker organ from St Mark's, Islington for rebuilding in music room.
B. 1962 J.W. Walker & Sons, Ruislip, Middlesex
1 manual, 10 speaking stops, 2 ranks extension, electro-magnetic action
Photo: David Evans (June 2004)
From the Hunter District Organ Society Newsletter, Vol. 26, No. 3, September 2004:
This tiny instrument, built by J.P. Eagles of Sydney in 1968, began its life at the Anglican Church at Condobolin. However, while there it rarely received any attention from organ tuners because of its remote location, and subsequently fell into disrepair.
In 1981 it was bought by St John's College, Morpeth after removal of the old Norman & Beard / Sakacs instrument, to keep them going until the new instrument by Fr. John Hamer-Howarth was ready. The little organ was amazingly compact. Inside a case about the size of a small upright piano, but a bit deeper, are housed two 61 note ranks of pipes - Stopped Diapason 8' and Fifteenth 2' - on a very tightly packed chest employing direct electro-magnetic pallets. From the two ranks of pipes, Mr Eagles had derived five stops: Flute 8', Octave 4', Flute 4', Nazard 2-2/3' and Fifteenth 2'.
In December 1982 the organ was set up in a large and reverberant auditorium at Campbelltown High School, where it remained for a year. From there it moved to a private home for a number of years before being purchased by the Poor Clare Nuns for the chapel in the Bethlehem Monastery in Campbelltown. During this period of time, much work was carried out on the instrument by two very enthusiastic organ buffs, Andrew Grahame and Grahma Wykes, and an extra keyboard and a 32 note pedal board were added.
In 1987 the instrument was installed in the monastery chapel with this final stop list:
| Great Violin Diapason Stopped Flute Principal Fifteenth Quint Octavin Positive Stopped Flute Flute Nazard Fifteenth Quint Pedal Bourdon Stopped Flute Flute Super Octave Great to Pedal |
8 8 4 2 1-1/3 1 8 4 2-2/3 2 1-1/3 16 8 4 2 |
A B A A A A B B B A A B B B A |
In 2003 the Bethlehem Monastery sold the instrument to a private home. In 2003 the organbuilder Ian Brown installed the instrument in the home of Stephen and Alison Date.
1 manual, 10 speaking stops, 2 ranks extension, electro-magnetic action
Organ sold from St Mark's, Islington 2011 and bought by Stephen Date for installation in his Mayfield residance
Photo: The organ in its previous home at St Mark's, Islington
David Evans (May 1980)
From the Hunter District Organ Music Society Newsletter Vol. 8, No. 5, August 1984:
The organ, [previously located in St Mark's, Islington] is a unit organ built in 1962 by J.W. Walker and Sons Ltd, of England. It contains two ranks of pipes, playable over one manual and pedals. The pipework is unenclosed. The organ was purchased with funds raised by the St Mark's Women's Guild and was installed in front of the church. Later, the present gallery was built and the organ transferred to it.
Peter Jewkes writes (Aug. 08):
"It may be interesting to note that this organ has Melodic Treble and Harmonic Bass stops which play the Open Diapason on the top note of any chord played, and the Bourdon on the bottom note. This gives the effect of having two manuals and pedals, all just from playing on the one keyboard, but it does require very precise and legato technique, or you get very unusual yodelling melodies! We stored this organ in our Works at Manly Vale for more than a year while earthquake repairs were being carried out. It was also loaned by agreement to St Mary's Anglican Church, Waverley while their organ was being rebuilt, and stood at the front of the church there for some months. We cleaned and overhauled it before reinstating it in Islington, also replacing the worn-out relays for those unusual couplers."
| Manual Open Diapason Gedeckt Principal Gedeckt Flute Nazard Fifteenth Flautino Pedal Bourdon Bass Flute Octave Flute |
8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 2 16 8 4 |
A B A B B A B B B B |