Historical Documentation David Shield © OHTA August 2012
Revised David Shield February 2025
In May of 1870 an article appeared in the Wallaroo Times, repeated in the Adelaide Register, extolling the virtues of a locally made chamber organ. Described as a finger organ, 'powerful enough for a hall, dining room or moderately-sized church'. The whole of the work was attributed to the local hairdresser, Mr Phillips, even to the bone plating of the keys. The organ had three ranks of wooden pipes described as having a 'full and sweet tone' and was presumably for sale as the journalist added that it 'would be a desirable acquisition to any one fond of music who had a sufficiently large room to place it in'.1
Two months later the Governor, Sir James Ferguson, paid a visit to Yorke's peninsular and while at Kadina visited the barber shop. Written up in both of the Adelaide daily papers, the Governor:
congratulated Mr. Phillips upon his ingenuity, and expressed regret that Lady Edith, who was a good musician, was not there to play the instrument.2
and, although the organ was 'still in a rough unfinished state' ...
after hearing the maker's account of his work, and hearing a tune played, [the Governor] expressed his gratification at having witnessed so interesting a specimen of colonial industry, and having received the fervent thanks of Mr. Phillips took his leave.3
John Phillips was born at Redruth Cornwall, 14 February 1818, his father was a hairdresser. John became a mason but when his father died took on the family business. The lure of gold bought John, wife Elizabeth, two sons and two daughters to Adelaide in 1853. He moved to Yorke Peninsula as hairdresser in Kadina and Moonta.4
Phillips apparently intended leaving Kadina and moving to Moonta. In 1878 he placed the hairdressing business for sale and instructed J Lang to sell by public auction the whole of his household furniture and effects located in Graves Street, Kadina. The sale was over two occasions. On Saturday 17 August the first item listed was:
First class organ, 7 stops, suitable for a church or drawing room.
to which the Auctioneer would call special attention to the above organ as it is a really good one, suitable either for a church or drawing room and it is far superior to anything of the kind to be obtained here.
The following Wednesday a Trichord piano and violin with case were offered.5
The organ had seemingly increased in size from three to seven stops. Unfortunately the results of the auction are unknown.
It is unclear when Phillips went first to Adelaide then relocated to Clare. Both his elder daughter Kate and wife Elizabeth died in 1880 at Moonta.6 By 1883 he was in Clare and re-married in 1887. After 17 years he returned to Moonta where his second wife predeceased him. He died aged 90 in 1907.7
As to the organ, nothing further is known of this 'really ingenious piece of local workmanship'.8
1 Wallaroo Times 14/5/1870 p.2; Register 16/5/1870 p.5.
2 Advertiser 13/7/1870 p3 Lady Edith had returned by ship to Adelaide, the Governor was to ride back via Port Wakefield.
3 Register 13/7/1870 p.6.
4 York Peninsula Advertiser Fri 10 5 1907 p.3.
5 Wallaroo Times Sat 17/8/1878 p.3.
6 Kate age 29 of heart disease, Advertiser Wed 4/2/1880 p.4; Elizabeth age 64 York Peninsula Advertiser Fri 22/10/1880 p.3.
7 York Peninsula Advertiser Fri 10 5 1907 p.3.
8 Register Wed 13/7/1870 p.6.