May 2008
In storage, Sydney. Bevington & Sons, London, 1905. 2 manuals, 17 speaking stops, 4 couplers, mechanical action. Contact Pipe Organ Reconstructions Pty Ltd, Unit 16, 36 Abbott Road, Seven Hills, NSW 2147, Phone: 02 9838 4415, Fax: 02 9838 4416, email mfisher1@bigpond.net.au
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Drummoyne Uniting Church (formerly Methodist), 34 College Street
W.L.Roberts 1928 (2/14 tubular-pneumatic) |
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St Augustine's Anglican Church, Merewether (Newcastle)
B. unknown, Inst. 1924 from residence of John St Vincent Welch, Esq., Wollstonecraft, Sydney; cost £900. Overhauled & altered 1964 S.I. Sakacs, Melbourne. 3m., 16 sp. st., 8c., tr. Gt: 8.8.8.4. Sw: 16.8.8.4.2.8. Ch: 8.8.4.8. Ped: 16.8. Electronic organ now used (2005) |
For further information on the two above organs, please contact Peter Jewkes: peter@jewkes.com.au
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At present in storage, Melbourne. Single-manual organ by Robert Spurden-Rutt, London, built 1920s. In original condition, but requiring some restoration, especially of wind system and pedal action. One manual, seven speaking stops, one coupler, mechanical action to manual, tubular-pneumatic stop and pedal action. Manual: 8 divided.8 divided.8.4 divided.2.8 melodic. spare slide. Pedal: 16. Enquiries to Robert Heatley, Australian Pipe Organs, 11A Boileau Street, Keysborough, Vic 3173, telephone 9798 7664, email apo@bigpond.net.au
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Wesley Uniting (former Methodist) Church, Colac, Victoria
The Wesley Church in Colac is in the process of selling the church building and pipe organ. Tenders for sale of the organ will close on 16th July 2008. Any offer can be made to Glen Mitchelson, Chairperson, Church Council at ucacolac@datafast.net.au or sent to Colac Uniting Church, P.O. Box 253, Colac, 3250.
The organ was built in 1864 by the noted London firm of Gray & Davison for Christ Church, Ballarat. It was moved to its present location in 1929 by George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd and then rebuilt with tubular-pneumatic action by Charles Lomas in 1955.
In 1977 Finchams built a new organ for the church. It contained all the pipework (14 ranks), two windchests and the case from the original organ by Gray & Davison (England) of 1864. Two ranks from the 1956 work were also used and Finchams supplied one second-hand rank of pipes and made 14 ranks of new pipework.
Finchams supplied one second-hand windchest (origin unknown) and made three large windchests and several smaller ones. The building frame, the winding system, the actions to all the windchests, the coupling system, the console and the Swell boxes were all new.
Finchams work resulted in two major problem areas: very poor voicing of the four reed ranks and over-crowding of nearly all the Pedal pipework.
Since 1988 John Thwaites has made six pedal windchests to solve the overcrowding problems, re-voiced all the reed ranks and tonally regulated the entire organ. He has also had pipework made by Finchams to enable the Pedal Twelfth to be drawn separately from the Pedal Mixture. There are now 31 ranks.
Neither Wesley management nor the UCA management has bothered to have the listings of Organs in Victoria altered to record the work since 1988, which explains the present high standard of the organ.
Until 1956 the organ was in its original condition. The 1956 work saw the original tracker action and console discarded and a very poorly made pneumatic action and detached console installed. The original pipework was virtually untouched.
Current Status: Organ concerts have been given in recent year by world acclaimed organists. The organ is in excellent condition, although it requires the reeds to be tuned for full performance and appreciation. (It was last used for worship August 2007 and has not been kept full tuned).
Organ chamber dimensions: 20' x 14' x 20' (not including console)
Price: Colac Uniting Church are currently seeking expressions of interest and are yet to determine method of sale.
Tenders will now close on 6th August, 2008.
| GREAT Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Principal Gemshorn Twelfth Fifteenth Block Flute Mixture Bombard SWELL Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Viola da Gamba Celeste Principal Wald Flute Nazard Fifteenth Open Flute Tierce Sharp Mixture Bassoon Cornopean Hautboy Clarinet Clarion Bombard PEDAL Open Diapason Bourdon Principal Stopped Flute Fifteenth Wald Flute Mixture Bassoon Trumpet Clarion |
8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 2 III-IV 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 2 1-3/5 III 16 8 8 8 4 8 16 16 8 8 4 4 IV 16 8 4 |
*A * * * * * * *B bass * *C B *C *A * * * * * *B bass *A *A |
12 couplers including 3 swell reed transfers
2 swell boxes: flue/reed
* = new stops 1977
This church has been sold and the notable organ by Johann Wilhelm Wolff needs relocation. Of 21 instruments built by this nineteenth century South Australian pioneer, this is the last not in private hands and substantially in original condition. It uses push up pallets believed to be unique to this builder in Australia. Currently it is in the gallery of Grote Street Church of Christ, Adelaide.
