Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the exterior from the north
[photograph by John Maidment (17 August 2008)]
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the exterior from the north
[photograph by John Maidment (17 August 2008)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA, 2012 (last updated December 2012)
The Church of England Grammar School opened in 1858 on a site south of the Domain. The initial buildings were designed in Elizabethan style by architects Webb & Taylor.1
The foundation stone of the Chapel was laid on Wednesday 29 June 1892 by the Countess of Hopetoun, wife of the Victorian Governor.
Designs were obtained in the year 1888 from Mr. A.E. Johnson Diocesan architect (of the firm of Messrs Smith and Johnson architects of Melbourne), and an English Church architect, and Mr. Johnson's designs were accepted as coming most within the scope of the committee's means The design was required to be of the character of a school or college chapel, with a floor space capable of providing for 300 sittings.
The plan of the building consists of nave, transepts, choir, and organ vestry. The transepts were adopted with the object of obtaining a large floor space, and to bring the width and height of the nave within as limited a space as practicable, and the transepts, being each divided into two bays, admit of their roofs being kept down to a sufficiently low level as not to interfere with the continuity of the nave windows and roof, and thus maintaining the chapel-like character of the building The length of the nave is 52ft, the width 24ft, the transepts 21ft by a depth of 14ft , the chancel 23ft , the height from floor to roof plate, top of wall, 32ft. There is an arch on the south side of the chancel, opening to the organ vestry, and an arch and screen between vestry and south transept. The roof ridge is continuous over chancel and nave without break. The church is constructed of bluestone coursed rubble walling with cut bluestone ashlar dressings, the windows and doors only being of Waurn Ponds freestone. The interior is faced throughout with ashlar masonry of Oamaru freestone. The nave roof is open timbered to the ridge and the chancel has a wood coved panel ceiling. The floor is to be tile paved throughout except the area required for the seating. The windows are of cathedral glass, in lead quarry lights. There is a circular bell turret on the north side of the building connecting the chancel with the transept, and an open arcaded belfry with two bells. The choir seats and altar fittings, reading desk, lectern and organ and the upper portion of the turret are not included in the present contract and for these funds will have to be raised as the building progresses. A handsome stone pulpit, designed especially for the chapel, costing upwards of £100 has been presented by a friend to the church (Mrs Albert Miller) and the committee have hopes that so notable an example will be followed by others interested in the cause so that the remaining features previously referred to may be supplied, the drawings and estimates for which will be duly forthcoming.2
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the exterior from the north-east
[from a contemporary engraving]
The Chapel was opened and dedicated by the Bishop of Melbourne on Wednesday 3 May 1893:
The ceremony of opening the chapel which has recently been erected in connection with the Church of England Grammar School at South Yarra was performed yesterday afternoon by the Bishop of Melbourne. The chapel has been built within the last twelve months at a cost of £6,000. It is a substantial structure, designed in the mediaeval Gothic style by Mr. A.E. Johnson (of the firm of Messrs. Smith and Johnson, architects), and is in harmony with the main school building, to which it is adjacent. Its walls outside are of bluestone rubble masonry, the inside linings are of Oamaru stone, and the windows and doorways have facings of Waurn Ponds stone. The chapel is lofty, having an open timber roof, and well ventilated, and it has seating accommodation for 300 persons. Outside the chancel there is a memorial tablet with an inscription in memory of the late Dr. J.E. Bromby and Mr. A.Pyne, M.A., former head masters of the school, together with an announcement that the foundation-stone was laid by the Countess of Hopetoun.3
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the interior from the west
[photograph by John Maidment (12 November 2008)]
Arthur Ebden Johnson (1821-1895) had trained as an architect in England and while there worked in association with J.L. Pearson on St James's Church, Weybridge, Surrey (1845).4 He arrived in Melbourne in the late 1850s and worked for many years in the Public Works Department under William Wardell, being largely responsible for the design of the General Post Office and Law Courts, both in Melbourne. The Chapel at Melbourne Grammar School is his only known ecclesiastical design, although he supervised completion of the tower and spire of Wardell's St John's Church, Toorak.5
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: design for an organ case by A.E. Johnson
[from the Melbourne Grammar School Archives, courtesy of Gordon Sargood]
Johnson produced a design for an unexecuted organ case for the chapel on 10 November 1893.
The first organ in the Chapel of St Peter was built in 1887 by George Fincham for St Michael's Catholic Church, Wagga Wagga, NSW. Fincham received virtually no payments for the organ and there was evidence that it had been vandalised. It was therefore dismantled and returned to the Fincham factory in 1893. The instrument was sold to the Church of England Grammar School in South Yarra and installed in the Chapel of St Peter, where it was opened on 1 September 1893. It was reported that the organ was ready for use at a confirmation service on Wednesday 6 September 1893.6
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the 1887 Fincham organ
[photograph c.1905 from The Melburnian]
The school's magazine reported:
An organ built by Messrs. Fincham & Hobday has been put up in the Chapel at a cost of 320 Pounds. As this firm has dealt with us on the most generous terms, it will be a graceful act on the part of the School to make a keen effort to pay off the sum owing as early as possible, and we would urge those boys who have not yet given in their collection cards to fill them up as soon as they can and give them in to the proper authorities. Everyone who has heard the instrument is delighted with its sweet tone, and there can be no doubt that we are very fortunate in having been able to provide ourselves with such an organ so soon after the completion of the chapel. We append a description of it, and also a list of the subscriptions already collected.
The organ contains two manuals, and independent pedal organ, viz.:-
Great organ, compass CC to G, 56 notes.
Swell organ, " CC to G, 56 "
Pedal organ, " CCC to F, 30 "The materials and workmanship are of the highest class.
The metal pipes of best spotted metal and front pipes of Belgium zinc.
The case is of pine, with front pipes illuminated in colors and gold, making a very effective appearance.
The organ is entirely a colonial production, even to the casting of the metal for the pipes, and contains the following Stops:-
Great Organ
Open Diapason
Claribel
Dulciana
Principal
Fifteenth
Swell Organ
Open Diapason
Gedact
Wald Flute
Oboe
Pedal Organ
Bourdon
8ft.
8ft.
8ft.
4ft.
2ft.
8ft.
8ft.
4ft.
8ft.
16ft.
metal
wood
metal
metal
metal
metal
wood
wood
metal
wood
CC to G, 56 pipes
CC to G, 56 pipes
CC to G, 56 pipes [44 pipes, grooved bass]
CC to G, 56 pipes
CC to G, 56 pipes
CC to G, 56 pipes [44 pipes, grooved bass]
CC to G, 56 pipes
CC to G, 56 pipes [labelled Flute 4]
CC to G, 56 pipes
CCC to F, 30 pipes
Couplers
Swell Organ to Great Organ.
Swell Organ to Pedal Organ.
Great Organ to Pedal Organ.
Three Pedals for Combination of Stops to Great Organ.
The firm have agreed to guarantee the instrument (as usual with them) for a term of five years, and to keep the same in good order and tune for 12 months."7
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the organ from the chancel
[photograph by John Maidment (12 November 2008)]
In 1913, at the instigation of A.E.H. Nickson, the School Organist, a new organ was acquired for the Chapel built in England by Norman & Beard; the old organ was sold to St Bartholomew's Anglican Church in Burnley where it was installed in October 1913.
A new organ, the gift of Mrs. Guy Sherwood, has been erected in the chapel of the Melbourne Grammar School, in memory of her son, Clifford Burrell Adams, a late member of the school, who died in March 1909. Archbishop Clarke conducted the special service of dedication, and gave an address yesterday at the close of the school. The organ contains all the latest improvements, with tubular-pneumatic action, two manuals, and twenty-two stops. Special care has been taken to voice the registers suitably to the size and acoustic properties of the building, and to provide for the accompaniment of voices, as well as for the performance of modern organ music. The specification was drawn up by Mr. A.E.H. Nickson, F.R.C.O., the School organist, in conjunction with Messrs. Norman and Beard, who were entrusted with the building and erection of the organ. A recital will be given to the school, and to parents and friends of the boys, on Friday November 29.8
A bronze repoussé plaque states that the organ is in loving memory of Clifford Adams born April 25th 1890 passed away March 16th 1909.
The recital was given by A.E.H. Nickson, the school organist, assisted by Mr Felix Gade, violinist.9
The organ was Norman & Beard's job number 1297 and cost £940 – a substantial cost for a two-manual organ at the time.10 It incorporated the firm's patent triple-stage exhaust pneumatic action, an attached console with ivory drawstops, and with an oak case and console fittings.
| GREAT Open Diapason Claribel Flute Dulciana Principal Flautina Trumpet Swell to Great SWELL Open Diapason Rohr Flöte Salicional Voix Celeste Gemshorn Flute Horn Oboe Tremulant Swell Octave PEDAL Open Diapason Bordun Violoncello Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal |
8 8 8 4 2 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 8 8 16 16 8 |
inverted languids in bass wood slotted: metal hooded: harmonic trebles wood CC-BB TC cylindrical open wood harmonic trebles harmonic trebles wood wood metal mechanical mechanical |
Compass: 61/30
3 thumb pistons to Great & Pedal
3 thumb pistons to Swell
Balanced mechanical swell pedal11
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School:
cross-section of the organ showing winding, framing and chests, drawn by Norman & Beard 1913
[British Organ Archive, Birmingham]
The organ was winded from a double-rise main reservoir fitted with feeders and hand blowing, and a smaller single-rise reservoir for the swell, all evident in the firm's working drawing preserved at the British Organ Archive. Electrical blowing was installed shortly afterwards, the blower installed in a crenellated bluestone chamber erected outside the organ.
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the transept façade erected 1924
[photograph by John Maidment (12 November 2008)]
The south transept side of the organ was not supplied with casework until this was provided as a memorial in 1924, designed by Rodney Alsop, and made in carved oak with 29 dummy pipes provided by George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd at a cost of £29-7--.12 This was in memory of John Harvey Maclellan (1898-1922). At this time, the façade pipes both in the chancel and transept, were covered in high quality gilding, with the pipe mouths picked out in navy blue.
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: Donald Britton at the Norman & Beard console 1958
[cover of recording Donald Britton plays Organ Music by British French and German Composers]
In 1947, the organ was rebuilt by Hill, Norman & Beard (Australia) Pty Ltd. The triple-stage exhaust pneumatic action and coupling was discarded and the action converted to electro-pneumatic, presumably only so that additional stops could be added. This was the start of three major interventions which have progressively eroded the original integrity of the instrument. The following stops were added:
GREAT
Leib Bordun 16 A wood: on separate chest placed behind the swell box
Clarinet 8 on separate chest placed above the transept arch
SWELL
Mixture 15.19.22 3 rks on separate chest placed high in the swell box
PEDAL
Leib Bordun 16 A
Bass Flute 8 A
Octave Flute 4 A
COUPLERS
Swell Sub Octave
Swell Unison Off13
This work was carried out in memory of Peter Geoffrey Sheppard (1919-1945) who died as a prisoner of war on Ambon.
At some stage, possibly around 1960, Arthur Jones, of J.W. Walker & Sons Ltd, worked on the reeds, making them brighter and more aggressive in quality.14
In the early 1960s, the action was deteriorating and becoming unreliable, owing to a lack of skilled and committed maintenance. A quotation was received from J.W. Walker & Sons Ltd to enlarge the organ to three manuals, with a division mounted over the west door, but cost precluded this progressing.15
A further rebuilding took place by Hill, Norman & Beard (Australia) Pty Ltd in 1966. This included the discarding of the Norman & Beard drawstops and piston action and their replacement with new ivory drawstops mounted on ebonised stop jambs, new ivory manual keys and pedal board, new thumb and toe pistons and piston action, and a new adjustable bench. The Norman & Beard Flautina 2 was transposed to make a Quint 2-2/3, placed on a separate direct-electric chest above the Swell pneumatic stop actions, and its place occupied by a new spotted metal Fifteenth 2. Several stops were inaccurately renamed.16
The most recent rebuilding was completed in 1994 by Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd, advised by John Mallinson and Lindsay O'Neill. This involved the removal of the two Norman & Beard reservoirs and their replacement with vertically-mounted regulators, winded from a new internal blower. The Norman & Beard pneumatic stop actions were replaced with 'SLIC' electro-mechanical units and a new solid-state piston action installed. The following stops were added or changed:
GREAT
Open Diapason no 2 8 new: on separate chest
Fifteenth 2 new, replacing 1966 stop
Mixture 19.22.26 3 rks new: on separate chest
SWELL
Flautina 2 Norman & Beard Great stop: on separate chest
Mixture 15.19.22 3 rks new, replacing 1947 stop: on separate chest
PEDAL
Quint 10-2/3 extended from Bourdon 16
Bass Flute 8 extended from Bourdon 16
Viola 4 extended from Violoncello 8
Trombone 16 new
The casework was polished and darkened in colour and the façade pipes were sprayed with gold lacquer.
| GREAT Open Diapason Open Diapason Claribel Flute Dulciana Principal Fifteenth Mixture 19.22.26 Trumpet Clarinet Swell to Great SWELL Open Diapason Lieblich Gedackt Salicional Voix Celestes Gemshorn Flute Flautina Mixture 15.19.22 Horn Oboe Tremulant Swell Sub Octave Swell Unison Off Swell Octave PEDAL Open Diapason Bourdon Quint Violoncello Bass Flute Viola Trombone Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell Octave to Pedal |
8 8 8 8 4 2 III 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2 III 8 8 16 16 10-2/3 8 8 4 16 |
1994 1994 1994 1947 TC ex Great 1994 A A B A B 1994 |
Great & Pedal Combinations Coupled
Compass: 61/3017
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the console
[photograph by John Maidment (12 November 2008)]
The chapel fittings include three outstanding opus sectile panels designed and made by Charles Hardgrave for James Powell & Sons at the Whitefriars Glass Works, London 1909-1911,18 the splendid carved Caen limestone reredos and altar made by H.H. Martyn & Co, of Cheltenham, UK (dedicated 1926),19 a mosaic panel depicting the Last Supper made in the Vatican, a credence table made by Robert Prenzel and an arts and crafts style processional cross made by George Hart, of the Guild of Handicraft, Chipping Camden, UK. The stained glass includes windows by Clayton & Bell, of London, Brooks, Robinson & Co, Rebecca Rigge, and David Taylor Kellock, of Ballarat.
The school has had the benefit of several talented organists during its history. Two names must be mentioned: Arthur Ernest Howard Nixon FRCO, who held the position 1906-1923, and Donald Britton MA, MusB (Cantab), ARCM, ARCO, who held the position 1954-1973; he had previously been an organ scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and on the music staff of Winchester College. He made a fine recording on the organ in 1958 and his handling of the Norman & Beard organ is recalled with great admiration.20
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: interior looking west
[photograph by John Maidment (12 November 2008)]
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the altar and reredos made by H.H. Martyn & Co
and the opus sectile panels made by Powells, Whitefriars
[photograph by John Maidment (12 November 2008)]
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: carved details of the reredos
[photograph by John Maidment (12 November 2008)]
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: the west end and stained glass by D. Taylor Kellock
[photograph by John Maidment (12 November 2008)]
Chapel of St Peter, Melbourne Grammar School: western facade from the quadrangle
[photograph by John Maidment (17 August 2008)]
1 Historical information throughout this entry from Liber Melburniensis (centenary edition), edited by R.M. Jukes. South Yarra: Melbourne Church of England Grammar School, 1965
2 The Argus, 30 June 1892, p.10
3 Ibid., 4 May 1893, p.9
4 Anthony Quiney, John Loughborough Pearson. London: Yale University Press, 1979, p.282
5 The Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture, edited by Philip Goad & Julie Willis. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp.367-8
6 The Argus, 23 August 1893, p.5
7 The Melburnian, October 1893, p.79
8 The Argus, 14 November 1913, p.5
9 Ibid., 28 November 1913, p.8
10 Norman & Beard list of main orders, compiled by David Wickens (British Organ Archive, Birmingham)
11 Author's notes
12 George Fincham & Sons letters 4/194, 30 January 1924 (State Library of Victoria)
13 Author's notes
14 Donald Britton personal communication to author c.2000
15 This was discussed when the author was a pupil at the school
16 Author's notes
17 Author's notes
18 http://www.tilesoc.org.uk/pdf/opuslist.pdf
19 Illustrated in the history of the firm: John Whitaker, The Best: History of H.H.Martyn and Co., Carvers in Wood, Stone and Marble, Casters in Bronze, Founders of Gloster Aircraft Ltd (Whitaker, 1985)
20 Donald Britton plays Organ Music by British French and German Composers WG-AL-661