City Uniting Church
Northbourne Avenue, Canberra
1925 Geo. Fincham & Sons for St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Goulburn
Inst. present location 1988 by David Hudd
Rebuilt 2011 Australian Pipe Organs
2 manuals, 18 speaking stops, 9 couplers, electro-pneumatic action
From SOJ October/November 1987:
The 1925 George Fincham & Sons organ fromSt Andrew's Uniting Church in Goulburn was donated to the new City Uniting Church in Canberra and installed in the new building in 1988 by David Hudd. It was restored using the existing tubular-pneumatic action.
From 2001 OHTA Conference handbook:
The organ was built in 1925 by George Fincham & Son for St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Goulburn, being the second pipe organ owned by the church [it was installed in the new Clifford Street Church, following the demolition of the earlier St Andrew’s in Sloane Street, near the railway - PdL 2006]. Located in a spacious side apse, it sounded to great effect in that resonant building. Not long after the formation of the Uniting Church, the Fincham was given to Canberra City Church and a renovation completed in 1988 by David Hudd, a former director of J.W. Walker & Sons (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. At this time a number of tonal alterations were undertaken by swapping the position of ranks within the Swell and removing the previously duplexed Swell Bourdon so that it was playable only on the Pedal.
For a short period, a small single-manual chamber organ belonging to Rev. Michael Johnson was erected at the southern end of the worship space. Almost certainly the work of Flight & Robson of London, c.1830, this instrument was taken to Tasmania and later sold to the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney where it was visited during the OHTA conference of 1995.
[Photos above: Trevor Bunning 2006]
The specification was:
| Great Open Diapason Claribel Dulciana Principal Flute Fifteenth Swell Open Diapason Gedackt Viol d'Orchestre Voix Celeste Octave Mixture Horn Pedal Subbass Bourdon Bass Flute Flute Horn Couplers Swell to Great Swell Super Octave Swell Sub Octave Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal |
8 8 8 4 4 2 8 8 8 8 4 III 8 16 16 8 4 8 |
+ * ^ |
Tubular-pneumatic action
Attached stopkey console
+ in place of the former duplexed Bourdon
* new extension from Bourdon
^ duplexed from Swell
The organ was rebuilt in 2011 by Australian Pipe Organs, the work involving the electrification of the key and stop actions with one tonal alteration reversed and a new wind system installed. The current specification, supplied by Robert Heatley from APO, is:
| Great Open Diapason Claribel Flute Dulciana Principal Flute Fifteenth Swell Bourdon Open Diapason Gedeckt Viol d'Orchestre Voix Celeste Principal Mixture 15.19.22. Horn Tremulant Pedal Sub Bass Bourdon Quint Bass Flute Octave Flute Couplers Swell to Great Swell Sub Octave to Great Swell Octave to Great Swell Octave Swell Sub Octave Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell Octave to Pedal Great & Pedal Pistons Coupled |
8 8 8 4 4 2 16 8 8 8 8 4 III 8 16 16 10-2/3 8 4 |
B TC (new in 1988) (remade) A B A A A |
Accessories
4 adjustable thumb pistons to Great
4 adjustable thumb pistons to Swell
4 adjustable thumb pistons to Pedal
Great to Pedal reversible thumb piston
Swell to Great reversible thumb piston
General Cancel thumb piston
Balanced mechanical swell expression
Action
Electro-pneumatic action
Solid state switching & coupling system
Console
Built in / stop key
Compass: 61/30
[Photos above of new console: Trevor Bunning May 2019]
Photos supplied by Trevor Bunning, June 2006