Methodist Church

Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

First organ, built by George Fincham before 1866, sold to Methodist Church. Northcote 1890
Second organ, built by Fincham & Hobday 1890
3 manuals, 30 speaking stops, 4 couplers, mechanical action
Removed 1969 and parts used in new organ at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Horsham

Methodist Church, Brunswick Street, Fitzroy: the exterior
[collection of John Maidment (circa 1966)]

Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA, 2013 (last updated February 2013)

Methodist Church, Fitzroy: the interior
[Uniting Church Archives, Elsternwick]

This very large church, constructed in bluestone in the Gothic style, was designed by leading architects Crouch & Wilson; the foundation stone was laid in October 1860.¹ The façade incorporated twin octagonal towers and the interior was lined with galleries. It had a very large seating capacity of around 1500 persons and possibly accommodated the largest congregation in the Melbourne suburbs. The building dominated views of Brunswick Street. Very sadly, the site was resumed by the Victorian Government in the late 1960s for Housing Commission flats, and it was demolished, now seen to have been a serious error of judgement.

Methodist Church, Fitzroy: the organ viewed from the rear gallery
[photograph from E.N. Matthews (1969)]

The organ was built by Fincham & Hobday at a cost of £808 less £150 for the old organ. It was opened by George Peake in July 1890.² The instrument was sited at gallery level at the front of the church and the extended mechanical action console placed below at floor level. The casework was very plain and the console did not incorporate the luxurious features of the firm's other contemporary work. With four prepared-for stops, it had clearly been built to a tight budget. The Great and Swell Organs stood side-by-side facing down the church and the Choir Organ was placed beneath the Great. By the late 1960s, this organ remained in totally original condition, retaining all of its original cone tuned spotted metal pipework, windchests and action and produced a superlative sound in a fine acoustical setting. The Pedal Organ was placed across the rear of the organ; all ranks had individual pallets and stop control was via ventils at the end of the individual chests, the note actions being interconnected. In many ways the instrument looked back to the 1870s and the influence of Arthur Hobday on its design seemed non-existent.³

Methodist Church, Fitzroy: the console
[photograph by W.G.S. Smith (1969)]

When the site was resumed, a final recital took place on 8 June 1969 by Andrew Lecky together with the final service.⁴ The organ was dismantled by Hill, Norman & Beard (Australia) Pty Ltd and moved to their factory at Clifton Hill. The casework, console and mechanical action remained in the church afterwards and the console was finally extracted, with much effort, by John Maidment and Graeme Rushworth and then placed in storage. Sadly, it was later stored privately in an area open to the elements and was ultimately unsalvageable. Only some of the pipework and the Great and Swell slider windchests were used by Laurie Pipe Organs Pty Ltd in an otherwise new organ for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Horsham, opened in 1971.⁵

Compass: 58/30
Mechanical key and stop action at console; tubular-pneumatic to draw chests
4 composition pedals to Great
4 composition pedals to Swell
Lever swell pedal⁶

Methodist Church, Fitzroy: case detail
[photograph by W.G.S. Smith (1969)]




Methodist Church, Fitzroy: the interior looking to the rear
[Uniting Church Archives, Elsternwick]

1 The Argus 3 October 1860, p.4

2 George Fincham letters 14/108 cited in E.N. Matthews, Colonial Organs and Organbuilders (Carlton: Melbourne University Press, 1969), p.133

3 As observed by John Maidment 1966, 1969

4 The Herald 9 June 1969; The Sun 9 June 1969

5 Bob Jefferson, Steve Laurie Organ Builder; His Life and Works (Somers, Vic.: the author, 1998), p.265

6 Specification noted John Maidment 1966, 1969