St Colomb's Anglican Church, Clayfield
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
St Colomb's Anglican Church, Clayfield
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by Geoffrey Cox
© OHTA 2012 (last updated May 2012)
The historic St Colomb's Anglican Church was designed in 1899 by J.H. Buckeridge, the Brisbane Anglican Diocesan Architect.1 The church was situated originally in Franz Road, but was moved to its current location in December 1920.2 A brick sanctuary was added around 1960.
Brick extension to St Colomb's Anglican Church, Clayfield
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
This organ was originally built by B.B.Whitehouse & Co. of Brisbane at a cost of £255.3 It was first used at a service on 7 April 1914, when the choir sang Stainer's Crucifixion, and the organist was Mr E.C. Ranger.4
The original organ had tubular-pneumatic action and a two-manual console, but only the Great and Pedal divisions were installed. The specification, including the envisaged (prepared for) Swell division, was as follows:
| GREAT Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Dulciana Flute SWELL Open Diapason Lieblich Gedact Salicional Oboe PEDAL Bourdon COUPLERS Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal Swell to Great Swell to Great Super Swell to Great Sub Great Octave |
8 8 8 4 8 8 8 8 16 |
[prepared for] [inoperative] [inoperative] [inoperative] [inoperative] |
Tremulant (affecting Great stops)
Tubular-pneumatic action
Attached stop-key console
Pedalboard: radiating & concave.5
Whitehouse Bros moved the organ in 1959,6 and they rebuilt and enlarged it with electro-pneumatic action in 1969.
The rebuilt and enlarged Whitehouse Bros organ
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
Plaque commemorating the gift of the Flute stop
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
The specification is as follows:
| GREAT Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Dulciana Echo Gamba Principal Flute Flautina SWELL Geigen Principal Gedact Octave Mixture Oboe PEDAL Bourdon Bass Flute COUPLERS Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal Swell to Great Swell Super Octave Swell to Great Super Octave Great Octave |
8 8 8 8 4 4 2 8 8 4 III 8 16 8 |
A A B B C C |
[1969] [1969] [1969] [1969] [1969] [1969] [1969] [1969] [1969] |
Tremulant
Electro-pneumatic action
Detached stop-key console
Pedalboard: radiating & concave.7
Console details of the Whitehouse Bros organ
[Photographs by David Vann (May 2012)]
Refurbishment of the organ was undertaken in 1989 by W.J. Simon Pierce of Brisbane. The work included some re-voicing of the Mixture and Flutes, together with routine re-leathering and replacement of puffers. The instrument was re-opened on Sunday 8 October 1989.8
Plaque commemorating improvements to the organ in 1989
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
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1 Donald Watson & Judith McKay, Queensland Architects of the 19th Century: A Biographical Dictionary (Brisbane: Queensland Museum, 1994), p. 26.
2 Nella Tranter, 'The Organ of St Colomb's Anglican Church, Clayfield,' The Organ Voice, vol. 26, no. 2 (June 2000), pp. 11-12.
3 Whitehouse Bros List.
4 Tranter, op. cit., p.11.
5 Original specification and details from Collected Organ Specifications of Bernie Brohan (c.1952) & Notebooks of E.R. Salisbury.
6 Whitehouse Bros List.
7 Specification noted by G. Cox, 1973.
8 Tranter, op. cit., p. 12; Organ Society of Queensland Newsletter, vol. 16, no. 5 (April 1989), p. 49.