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“Notes written by Kelvin Hastie for Capital Organs, Conference Booklet of the 24th Annual OHTA Conference, September/October 2001”

This beautiful and impressive cathedral, designed in Gothic revival style by the architect, Mr C. Spadacini of Goulburn, was commenced in 1872 and constructed of local greenstone. [1] Windows, arches, turrets and crosses are of Marulan sandstone, and the floors are made of marble. The opening ceremonies and dedication by Cardinal Moran took place on Sunday, 29 June 1890.

The organ is unquestionably the finest-sounding and best-preserved Hill organ in Australia after Sydney Town Hall. It was ordered in 1889 as a gift from Mrs J.G. Dalghsh and opened in 1890 by W.T. Best who was in Australia principally to perform the opening series at Sydney Town Hall.

Although the Great Posaune 8 was hooded in 1910 by John B. Holroyd who then affixed a plate claiming the work as a "rebuild", the organ has never been altered in any way and a restoration, retaining all original features, was undertaken in 1980 by Peter Jewkes in conjunction with John Parker of Melbourne.

The organ is located in the best possible acoustical environment - a spacious gallery with a sympathetic acoustic measured at 3.5 seconds. The sound of the full organ leaves a lasting impression of grandeur on the ear and it represents English organ sound at its prime. As a heritage item, this organ must now assume importance of international significance. The specification is:

Click here for the Stiller documentation of the organ

GREAT Open Diapason I Open Diapason II Hohl Flute Principal Harmonic Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Mixture Posaune SWELL Bourdon Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Salicional Voix Celeste Principal Fifteenth Mixture Horn Oboe tremulant CHOIR Dulciana Gamba Lieblich Gedact Suabe Flute Clarionet PEDAL Open Diapason Bourdon Violoncello Trombone

8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 III 8 16 8 8 8 8 4 2 III 8 8 8 8 8 4 8 16 16 8 16

6 couplers
Compass 56/3 0
Mechanical and Barker-lever action [2]

[1] From Ms Helen Hall (emailed to the webmaster 8/6/06):

This wonderful old building is described on the OHTA website as being constructed of bluestone. In fact it is constructed of greenstone - compact, dark-green, altered or metamorphosed basic igneous rock (e.g. spilite, basalt, gabbro, diabase) that owes its colour to the presence of chlorite, actinolite, or epidote. It is the only greenstone building of any significance that I have ever seen, so it seems a shame to see it described as "bluestone" a material which is comparatively common.

[2] From New South Wales - the state of organ preservation. OHTA Conference Booklet, 8-15 July 1988., 40-42.

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