Christ Church Anglican Church
Toorak Road, South Yarra

First organ, B 1870 Hill & Son, London (job no 1343). 2m, 16spst, 3c, tr.
Gt: 16.8.8.8.4.2-2/3.2.III.8. Sw: 8.8.4.8.8. Ped: 16.16.
Reb & enl 1916 Geo.Fincham & Son;
reb & enl 1954 Hill, Norman & Beard (o/n V281);
additions 1962 J.W. Walker & Sons, 1965 Hill, Norman & Beard.
3m, 43spst, 12c, elpn. Gt: 16.8.8.8.4.4.2-2/3.2.III.8.
Sw: 16.8.8.8.8.4.4.2.III.8.16.8.4. Ch: 16.8.8.8.4.2-2/3.2.1-3/5.1-1/3.1.8. 8.
Ped: 16.16.16.10-2/3.8.8.4.16.  Rem 1998; pipework used in present organ.

Present organ, B 1998 Kenneth Jones & Associates, Bray, Ireland,
incorporating pipework from previous organ.
3m, 40spst, 7c, tr & elpn.
Gt: 16.8.8.8.4.4.2-2/3.2.2.1-3/5.III-IV.8.  Sw: 8.8.8.8.4.4.2.III.III.16.8.8.
Ch: 8.8.4.4.2-2/3.2.8. 8. Ped: 16.16.10-2/3.8.8.5-1/3.4.16.








 

CHRIST CHURCH ANGLICAN CHURCH, SOUTH YARRA

 

The foundation stone of Christ Church was laid in April 1856 and the first section of the building opened in February 1857; the architects were Charles Webb and Thomas Taylor.  The aisles, chancel and impressive tower and spire were added 1881-1889 to the design of architects Reed, Henderson & Smart.  The building is constructed in bluestone with freestone dressings and the general style is Early English Gothic. It consists of an aisled nave of four bays, tower and spire, wide transepts and apsidal chancel and sanctuary placed over an undercroft housing the vestries. The richly furnished interior includes a carved rood screen, carved reredos and chancel furnishings designed by Alexander North.  The stained glass includes examples of the work of Clayton & Bell, E.R. Suffling (both of London), William Montgomery and Napier Waller.

 

The first organ was built by Hill & Son, London, the firm’s job number 1343 and ordered through Wilkie & Co., Melbourne.  This was opened on 12 July 1871 by P.C. Plaisted.  The specification from the Hill & Son order book appears below.  In 1881 George Fincham moved the organ into an organ chamber and added two additional stops, possibly a Bourdon 16 and Piccolo 2 to the Swell.

 

GREAT
Bourdon
Open Diapason
Stopped Diapason
Dulciana
Principal
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Mixture
Trumpet

SWELL
Open Diapason
Stopped Diapason
Principal
Cornopean
Oboe

PEDAL
Open Diapason
Bourdon


16
8
8
8
4
3
2
III
8


8
8
4
8
8


16
16




gvd bass

















3 couplers

3 composition pedals

Compass: 54/30

Blown at treble end

Plain [metal]

Diapered [façade]

Cost:  £500

 

The Hill & Son organ was rebuilt in 1916 by George Fincham & Son.  The action was converted to tubular-pneumatic, a new console was provided and a Choir Organ was added. 

 

GREAT
Bourdon
Open Diapason
Stop’d Diapason
Dulciana
Principal
Flute
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Mixture
Trumpet
Swell to Great
Swell to Great Super
Choir to Great

SWELL
Bourdon
Open Diapason
Stop’d Diapason
Gamba
Voix Celeste
Principal
Piccolo
Cornopean
Oboe
Tremulant
Swell Octave

CHOIR (enclosed)
Wald Flute
Salicional
Rohr Flute4
Clarinet
Tremulant
Swell to Choir

PEDAL
Open Diapason
Bourdon
Principal
Bass Flute
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal


16
8
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
III
8





16
8
8
8
8
4
2
8
8




8
8
4
8




16
16
8
8









































A

A



 

 

This instrument was rebuilt and considerably enlarged by Hill, Norman & Beard (Australia) Pty Ltd in 1954 (order number V281) in consultation with the organist Leonard Fullard MBE.  Electro-pneumatic action and a detached drawstop console were provided.  J.W. Walker & Sons Ltd provided new pipes for the Great Trumpet, Swell Posaune and Swell Mixture in 1962 and Hill, Norman & Beard installed the Choir Tierce in 1965 and prepared for the addition of the Larigot and Sifflöte.

 

GREAT
Bourdon  
Open Diapason I
Open Diapason II  
Stopped Diapason
Principal
Flute
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Mixture
Trumpet  
Swell Sub Octave to Great
Swell to Great
Swell Octave to Great
Choir to Great

SWELL
Lieblich Gedeckt
Open Diapason
Wald Flute
Aeoline
Viole Celeste
Principal
Lieblich Flöte  
Fifteenth  
Mixture  
Oboe
Contra Posaune
Posaune
Clarion
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Octave

CHOIR (enclosed)
Double Dulciana
Viola
Lieblich Gedeckt
Dulciana
Rohr Flöte
Nazard  
Piccolo
Tierce  
Larigot  
Sifflöte  
Clarinet
Tremulant
Trumpet
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Octave
Swell to Choir

PEDAL
Open Wood
Subbass
Bourdon
Quint
Octave
Flute
Fifteenth  
Trombone  
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal

16
8
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
III
8






16
8
8
8
8
4
4
2
III
8
16
8
4





16
8
8
8
4
2-2/3
2
1-3/5
1-1/3
1
8

8






16
16
16
10-2/3
8
8
4
16




A

HN&B






B  Walker in place of Hill Trumpet










TC

prepared for
HN&B
Walker

C  Walker
C Walker in place of Hill Cornopean
C Walker





D


D

HN&B

HN&B
prepared for
prepared for


B  Walker







E
A
A
F
E
F
HN&B



 

 

This instrument became increasingly unreliable mechanically through the 1970s and 1980s.  It was also far from successful tonally owing to the disparate nature of its contents, with pipework from Hill & Son, Fincham & Son, Hill, Norman & Beard and Walker & Sons.  The pipework also spoke across the chancel rather than down the building.  Its appearance was very drab, with three wide flats of silvered zinc pipes facing into the chancel and the south transept.

 

Kenneth Jones & Associates, of Bray, Ireland, was commissioned to build a new organ for Christ Church, incorporating the majority of the older pipework suitably revoiced, but with some significant new material, particularly the hammered metal façade pipes, Mixtures and reeds.  The instrument was designed so that the pipework speaks down the building.  The manual slider windchests were entirely new, the reversed terraced drawstop console was also new, together with a new wind system, new mechanical action for the manuals, electro-pneumatic action for the pedals, and electro-magnetic stop action.  The console and casework are made from oak retrieved from a redundant Abbott & Smith organ in Ireland.  This work was completed in 1998 and the organ opened in March 1999 by the organist Peter Nicholson who advised on the work.

 

GREAT
Bourdon
Open Diapason
Violin Diapason
Stopped Diapason
Principal
Wald Flute
Quint Flute
Fifteenth
Open Flute
Tierce
Mixture
Trumpet
Tremulant
Swell to Great
Choir to Great

SWELL
Open Diapason
Stopped Diapason
Salicional
Voix Celeste
Principal
Harmonic Flute
Fifteenth
Sesquialtera
Sharp Mixture
Double Trumpet
Horn
Oboe
Tremulant

CHOIR
Stopped Diapason
Dulciana
Principal
Chimney Flute
Twelfth
Flautina
Clarionet
Tromba 
Tromba Octave
Swell to Choir

PEDAL
Open Diapason
Subbass  
Quint 
Octave  
Bass Flute  
Nazard 
Fifteenth  
Trombone
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal


16
8
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
2
1-3/5
III-IV
8





8
8
8
8
4
4
2
III
III
16
8
8



8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
8
8




16
16
10-2/3
8
8
5-1/3
4
16
























TC










(unenclosed: at lower level)













A
B
C
A
B
C




 

 

Compass: 58/30

 

 

John Maidment

6 May 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
























Photos: Trevor Bunning (April 2009)





2 photos above: Simon Colvin


This black & white image shows a section of the three zinc facades taken around 1980 [JRM]