St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – exterior view circa 1930
[Rose postcard, from State Library of Victoria]
Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA (last updated October 2024)
Construction of the first church on this site began in 1862 and it was opened in February 1863.1 Built from brick, it was designed by Melbourne architect Leonard Terry. In 1869, a chancel was added to the existing building, designed by Nathaniel Billing.2 In 1887, a new nave with transepts was partially constructed, on a far grander scale, to the design of Heath, Jackson & Gray,3 but this was not to be continued until 1912 when a further bay of the nave was constructed with a temporary west wall, opened in 1914.4 The architect was C.G. McCrae. The remainder of the nave and a tower and spire 140 feet high were constructed to the design of Twentyman & Askew and opened in 1924.5 This building was consumed in a fire on 18 March 1955 lit by an arsonist. Almost the entire contents were destroyed, including the organ, stained glass and many fittings.
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – the 1957 church from the south-west
[photograph by John Maidment (8 August 2009) ]
A new church was designed by Louis R. Williams, retaining the previous tower and spire. The foundation stone was laid on 29 September 1956 and the building opened and dedicated on 29 November 1957. The church was constructed from cream brick in a simplified Gothic idiom and was 140 feet in length with an internal height of 49 feet. The building was consecrated on 24 February 1959. The focal point of the building was a large mural behind the high altar painted by Len Annois, and a number of fine stained glass windows by David Taylor Kellock and Napier Waller.
The first pipe organ was built by George Fincham and opened on 3 August 1875. The cost was £325.
GREAT Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Dulciana Principal Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Swell to Great |
8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 |
gvd.bass |
|
SWELL Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Gemshorn Piccolo Oboe |
8 8 4 2 8 |
wood |
|
PEDAL Bourdon Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal |
16 |
Compass: 56/30
Mechanical key and stop action6
It appears that a Pedal Principal 8 was later added to the organ, maybe to complete a façade facing down the church.
This organ was rebuilt and enlarged by Hill, Norman & Beard (Australia) Pty Ltd (order number V274) with electro-pneumatic action and a detached stopkey console and dedicated on 22 August 1954. The spotted metal pipework was fitted with tuning slides, the soundboards rebuilt and the organ turned through 90 degrees. It was destroyed in the 1955 fire.
GREAT Open Diapason Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Dulciana Principal Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Swell to Great |
8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 |
A TC |
with 31 new pipes |
SWELL Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Aeoline Gemshorn Piccolo Trumpet Oboe Tremulant Sub Octave Octave |
8 8 8 4 2 8 8 |
new new |
|
PEDAL Open Diapason Bourdon Principal Flute Octave Flute Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal |
16 16 8 8 4 |
A B A B B |
with 1-12 metal prepared-for |
Compass: 61/30
Electro-pneumatic action
Detached stopkey console7
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – the 1958 organ viewed from the nave
[photograph by John Maidment (31 March 2006) ]
The organ for the newly built church was constructed by Hill, Norman & Beard (Australia) Pty Ltd (order number V384). The pipework of two of the three manuals was installed at the time. The work was carried out in association with the church organist Selwyn Hooper and overseen by W.A.F. Brodie, managing-director of the firm, who had recently returned from an overseas study tour – the organ reflects his experiences in its tonal design. The organ was dedicated on 21 March 1958.
GREAT Lieblich Bourdon Open Diapason Gemshorn Claribel Flute Stopped Diapason Octave Gemshorn Nason Gemshorn Quint Fifteenth Mixture 22.26.29 Trumpet Swell Sub Octave to Great Swell to Great Swell Octave to Great Choir Sub Octave to Great Choir to Great Choir Octave to Great |
16 8 8 8 8 4 4 4 2-2/3 2 3 ranks 8 |
A B C A C A C |
Hill & Son 1868 ex Sydney Cathedral prepared-for |
SWELL Geigen Principal Rohrflöte Salicional Viole Celestes Principal Traversflöte Mixture 15.19.22 Double Bassoon Horn Bassoon Octave Bassoon Sub Octave Unison Off Octave Tremulant to low pressure stops |
8 8 8 8 4 4 3 ranks 16 8 8 4 |
TC D D D |
prepared-for prepared-for Bishop & Son ex Sacred Heart, Bendigo |
CHOIR (all stops prepared-for) Gedeckt Dulciana Flute Ouverte Rohr Nazard Flautina Tierce Cymbel Regal Bombarde division Double Bassoon Trumpet Horn Clarion Sub Octave Unison Off Octave Tremulant to low pressure stops Swell Sub Octave to Choir Swell to Choir Swell Octave to Choir |
8 8 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 2 ranks 8 16 8 8 4 |
||
PEDAL Major Bass Open Diapason Bourdon Lieblich Bourdon Gross Quint Principal Flute Quint Fifteenth Rauschquint 2-2/3 & 2 Posaune Bassoon Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell Octave to Pedal Choir to Pedal8 |
16 16 16 16 10-2/3 8 8 5-1/3 4 2 ranks 16 16 |
G F A A G F A G F, G D |
1-12 open wood and B metal prepared-for |
A Trumpet 8 was added to the organ in the late 1970s by John S. Parker, sited on top of the swell box. Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd made the following additions in 1985:
• Pedal Posaune 16, notes 1-12 (possibly by Hunter) imported by St George's, Battery Point, Hobart and completed with resonators 13-30 by Norman & Beard 1912 from St Peter's Church, Eastern Hill.
• Choir swell box and slider chest made by Geo. Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd
• Choir division comprising:
Gedeckt
Dulciana 8
Principal
Nazard
Flautina
Mixture 19.22
Clarinet
Trumpet
Clarion8
8
4
2-2/3
2
2 ranks
8
8
4*
*
*
Some of these ranks (*) came from the 1922 Geo. Fincham & Sons organ formerly in Peace Memorial Methodist Church, East Malvern.
In 1996, the Great Fifteenth and Mixture were replaced by Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd.
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – the 1958 organ console with later modifications
[photograph by Ken Falconer (13 May 2009)]
Construction of the present organ was begun in 2019 by Wakeley Pipe Organs Pty Ltd and completed in June 2024 by Pipe Organs Victoria Pty Ltd. It includes pipework and windchests from the previous Hill, Norman & Beard organ, the Dodd/Walker organ formerly in St Francis Xavier's Catholic Cathedral, Adelaide and new material, including the two pipe facades, designed by Marc Nobel with the spotted metal pipes made by Tim Gilley who also made a number of other metal ranks including the full-length 32ft reed. The organ chamber has had a mezzanine floor erected so that the additional pipework could be accommodated at an upper level. The moveable amphitheatrical mobile console was made by the South Island Organ Company Ltd, of Timaru, New Zealand, from oak and Australian mountain ash. The project was carried out in conjunction with the church's advisors John Mallinson, David Byrne and Ken Falconer with Ian Wakeley responsible for the specification, tonal design and final voicing and regulation.9
The following people worked on the project:
Kate Buttery
Keith Denmead
Tim Gilley
Phil Henderson
Marc Nobel
Jeremy Smith
Chris Teed
Ian Wakeley
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – divided cases of the present organ
[photograph by John Maidment (22 August 2024)]
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – chancel case
[photograph by John Maidment (19 December 2020)]
GREAT Double Diapason Open Diapason no 1 Open Diapason no 2 Gemshorn Gamba Harmonic Flute Stopped Diapason Principal Open Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Mixture 19.22.26 Trumpet Clarion Swell to Great Sub Octave Swell to Great Swell to Great Octave Choir to Great |
16 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 3 ranks 8 4 |
A A B C C |
WPO HN&B rescaled WPO HN&B ex H&S 1868 JWW&S WPO; stopped bass ex Cl Flute JWW&S HN&B HN&B ex Cl Flute WPO APO APO Parker Parker |
SWELL Bourdon Geigen Principal Rohr Flöte Salicional Viole Célestes Principal Traverse Flöte Flageolet Mixture 15.19.22 Double Trumpet Bassoon Horn Trumpet Oboe Clarion Tremulant Swell Sub Octave Swell Octave |
16 8 8 8 8 4 4 2 3 ranks 16 16 8 8 8 4 |
D D TC E F E F E |
HN&B WPO HN&B HN&B APO HN&B HN&B ex B&S 1906 WPO HN&B JWW&S HN&B HN&B JWW&S HN&B JWW&S |
CHOIR Stopped Diapason Salicional Principal Rohr Flute Nazard Flautina Tierce Mixture 19.22 Clarinet Tremulant Tuba Tuba Clarion Swell to Choir |
8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 2 ranks 8 8 4 |
G G |
(enclosed – Tuba in separate swell box) WPO - wood WPO APO WPO APO APO WPO APO JWW&S JWW&S JWW&S |
PEDAL Sub Bourdon Open Wood Open Diapason Violone Bourdon Echo Bourdon Open Flute Principal Flute Octave Octave Flute Mixture 12.15.19.22 Contra Posaune Posaune Double Trumpet Bassoon Posaune Trumpet Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell Octave to Pedal Choir to Pedal |
32 16 16 16 16 16 8 8 8 4 4 4 ranks 32 16 16 16 8 8 |
H I A B H D I J H J H K K E F K C |
WPO (+ 12 stopped Quint pipes) HN&B with new trebles WPO 1-12 WPO HN&B HN&B WPO old pipework HN&B HN&B HN&B HN&B JWW&S WPO/ APO APO |
2710 pipes
Compass: 61/32
Balanced swell pedals to Swell, Choir and Tuba
HN&B APO H&S B&S JSP JWW&S WPO 10 |
Hill, Norman & Beard (from previous organ) Australian Pipe Organs (from previous organ) Hill & Son (from previous organ) / ex St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney Bishop & Son (from previous organ) / ex Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo John S. Parker J.W. Walker & Sons ex St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide Wakeley Pipe Organs (some material reused from elsewhere)10 |
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – console
[photograph by John Maidment (22 August 2024)]
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – left hand stop jamb
[photograph by John Maidment (22 August 2024)]
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – right hand stop jamb
[photograph by John Maidment (22 August 2024)]
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – Great pipework
[photograph by John Maidment (22 August 2024)]
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – Swell pipework
[photograph by John Maidment (22 August 2024)]
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – Choir pipework
[photograph by John Maidment (22 August 2024)]
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – Tuba
[photograph by John Maidment (22 August 2024)]
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – 32ft Contra Posaune
[photograph by John Maidment (22 August 2024)]
GALLERY ORGAN – prepared for on main console (stopkeys only provided)
GREAT Bourdon Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Dulciana Principal Harmonic Flute Nazard Fifteenth Tierce Tremulant Swell to Great Sub Octave Swell to Great Swell to Great Octave |
16 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 |
||
SWELL Bourdon Viol Voix Celeste Principal Flautina Mixture 19.22.26 Double Trumpet Trumpet Oboe Clarion Tremulant Swell Sub Octave Swell Octave |
8 8 8 4 2 3 ranks 16 8 8 4 |
||
PEDAL Open Diapason Sub Bass Bourdon Principal Flute Fifteenth Double Trumpet Octave Oboe Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal11 |
16 16 16 8 8 4 16 4 |
Pipework reserved for this division includes material from the 1877 William Anderson organ ex St Mark's, Fitzroy and St Francis-in-the-Fields, Mooroolbark and from St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide.
St John's Anglican Church, Camberwell – transept organ
[photograph by John Maidment (19 December 2020)]
TRANSEPT ORGAN
A three-rank plus Mixture two-manual extension organ built in 1967 by Laurie Pipe Organs Pty Ltd has been placed as a temporary organ on the floor of the north transept. This was built for St John's Anglican Church, West Geelong and incorporated several restored ranks from an organ previously in Holy Advent Anglican Church, Armadale possibly built by William Anderson and damaged by fire in March 1956. It was later placed in the residence of Nigel Nettleship at Moorooduc and later acquired by Wakeley Pipe Organs.
MANUAL I Open Diapason Stopt Diapason Gemshorn Principal Flute Fifteenth Mixture III |
8 8 8 4 4 5 III |
A B C A B A |
75 pipes repeating |
MANUAL II Stopt Diapason Gemshorn Principal Octave Gemshorn Flautino Nineteenth Twentysecond |
8 8 4 4 2 1-1/3 1 |
B C A C B B C |
|
PEDAL Bourdon Principal Flute Fifteenth |
16 8 8 4 |
B A B A |
Compass: 61/32
Detached stopkey console
Electro-pneumatic action12
1 South Bourke Standard, 6 February 1863, p.2
2 Weekly Times, 8 January 1870, p.13
3 The Argus, 20 December 1887, p.11
4 Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell Citizen, 17 July 1914, p.2
5 Herald, 23 February 1924, p.5
6 George Fincham letter book 1874, p.91 (State Library of Victoria)
7 The order of service for the dedication of the organ, 22 August 1954
8 The order of service for the dedication of the organ, 21 March 1958
9 Details from opening recital programme 8 June 2024
10 Specification noted by John Maidment August 2024 with further details from opening recital programme 8 June 2024
11 Details noted from stopkeys provided on the current console
12 Society of Organists (Victoria) Incorporated Newsletter May 1967, p.11
Much of the additional historical information relating to the church has been derived from R.J. Macdougall, History of St. John's, Camberwell. Melbourne: Hall's Book Store, 1963