Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park: the exterior
[photograph by John Maidment (21 November 2010)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park: the exterior
[photograph by John Maidment (21 November 2010)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA, 2012 (last updated December 2012)
The parish has been in the care of the Carmelite order of priests and brothers since April 1882 when the first Carmelite priests, Prior Butler and Father Shaffrey, arrived to take charge of the newly created parish of Sandridge (Port Melbourne). Their new parish, formerly part of Emerald Hill (South Melbourne), extended along the beachfront from the river at Port Melbourne to Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. The Carmelites celebrated their first Mass on 7 May 1882 in St Joseph's, Port Melbourne, which had opened in 1881.1
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park: the exterior of the first church
[photograph from Some of the Fruits of Fifty Years: Ecclesiastical Annals (Melbourne: Massina, 1897)]
The foundation stone of the first church on this site was laid on 30 November 1890. The building was described as follows:
The church will be a most commodious one affording seating accommodation for a large congregation, irrespective of the choir and organ gallery. The general design will be Gothic of the 13th century carried out in red and buff brick with cement facings. The main front to Nicholson Street shows a nave and aisles, the centre gable having a rich traceried window. The gables to the nave are lighted with double lancet windows. The principal entrance doors communicate with spacious porches one of which contains a stone stairway to the organ gallery. The sanctuary is provided with an octagonal apse with provisions on each side for separate altars. Ample light is provided by a series of gables with double lancet windows to the aisles. The building will be ceiled with kauri pine. Ample provision for sacristies for acolytes and clergy has been made, whilst the southeastern angle is filled with a neat and tasteful belfry harmonising with the whole design. The architect is Mr George Gray.2
This building was opened and blessed on 29 November 1891.3
The organ was built by Frederick Taylor and consisted of two manuals. It was opened in the previous church in February 1908.4 No contemporary description of the instrument has been located.
A new church building was erected in the 1920s.
As a memorial to the late Rev. Prior Kindelan, the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middle Park is to be completed. A drawing of the design for the finished church by Mr. A.A. Fritsch is reproduced. Approximately £10,000 will he required for the work, and an appeal for the sum is being made.5 The foundation stone laid of the new church was laid on 10 April 1927.6
MEMORIAL CHURCH.
The Carmelite Church at Middle Park has been enlarged at a cost exceeding £11,000 and over the massive front is a copper-covered dome surmounted by a large statue of the Virgin and child. Carmelite fathers and parishioners completed the church as a memorial to the late Rev. Prior Kindelan, who was stationed in the district for many years. Yesterday morning solemn high mass was sung in the church by Bishop Ryan who was assisted by a number of clergy. Archbishop Mannix presided at the throne. An orchestra assisted the choir.
In the afternoon a meeting was held in the church, and addresses were delivered by Archbishop Mannix, Bishop Ryan, the Rev. Prior Power, the Rev. W.L. Bridger, Councillor Esmonde and Mr M. McNamara. It was stated that the parish expenditure in two years amounted to £12,311 with £3,500 still to be paid to the contractor. After allowing for receipts from all sources the parish debt is £7,000 but it was further reduced by £1,121, the amount realised by the special collection yesterday. Archbishop Mannix and Bishop Ryan each gave £20 and Bishop McCarthy £15.
The Rev. Prior Power announced that a new organ, to cost £1000, would be installed before the end of the year.7
The church includes outstanding stained glass windows in the apse by F.X. Zettler.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park: the 1929 Taylor console
[photograph by W.G.S. Smith (circa 1970s)]
The organ was rebuilt and enlarged by Frederick Taylor to three manuals and was dedicated on 30 June 1929 by Archbishop Mannix.8
| GREAT Open Diapason I Open Diapason II Clarabella Dulciana8 Principal Harmonic Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Trumpet Swell to Great Choir to Great |
8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 8 |
|
|
| SWELL Bourdon Geigen Principal Lieblich Gedeckt Viole d'Orchestre Voix Celeste Gemshorn Wald Flute Cornopean Oboe Tremulant Sub Octave Octave |
16 8 8 8 8 4 4 8 8 |
1-12 unenclosed gvd.bass TC |
|
| CHOIR (enclosed) Viola Hohl Flute Salicional Vox Angelica Lieblich Flute Vox Humana Tremulant Swell to Choir |
8 8 8 8 4 8 |
TC |
|
| PEDAL Open Diapason Bourdon Principal Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Choir to Pedal |
16 16 8 |
metal |
Compass: 58/30
Tubular-pneumatic action
3 thumb pistons to Great duplicated by toe pistons
3 thumb pistons to Swell duplicated by toe pistons
Great to Pedal reversible toe piston
Balanced pedals to Swell and Choir9
The distinguished French organist Marcel Dupré, in Australia for the ABC, played the organ for vespers during his visit to Melbourne in July-August 1939. This performance was still proudly recounted almost 30 years later.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park: the organ from the Laurie nave console
[photograph by John Maidment (21 November 2010)]
The organ was rebuilt in 1986-87 by S.J. Laurie Pty Ltd. The key and stop actions were converted to electro-pneumatic and a second three-manual drawstop console provided, this being placed in one of the transepts. A number of tonal additions were made, including new Mixtures for the Swell and Great, provision of a new extended Swell reed rank, upperwork for the Choir, and a Pedal reed.10
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park: the 2011 console
[photograph by John Maidment (2 December 2012)]
The organ was enlarged in 2011-2012 by Pipe Organs WA, from Perth. The work has consisted of the provision of a new four-manual terraced console, located in the right transept, addition of a Positiv division, sited on the gallery rail, addition of a horizontal Trumpet (envisaged in the Laurie rebuild), the moving forward and laterally of the divided cases in the rear gallery and their outwards extension by an additional flat, with newly constructed side panels, all in the architectural style of the original. A new Trumpet 8 was placed on the Great in place of the original, which is in storage in the blower room, and the composition of the Laurie Great Mixture was revised, with a fourth lower rank.
| GREAT Open Diapason no 1 Open Diapason no 2 Clarabel Dulciana Principal Harmonic Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Fourniture 15.19.22.26 Trumpet Swell to Great Positiv to Great Choir to Great |
8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 IV 8 |
rescaled 2012 1987 recomposed with additional rank 2012 replaced 2012, original in storage |
|
| SWELL Bourdon Geigen Principal Gedackt Viol d'Orchestre Voix Celeste Gemshorn Lieblich Flute Mixture 15.19.22 III Double Trumpet Cornopean Oboe Clarion Tremulant Swell Sub Swell Unison Off Swell Octave Positiv to Swell |
16 8 8 8 8 4 4 III 16 8 8 4 |
bass unenclosed TC 1987 A 1987 A 1987 replacing original Cornopean A 1987 |
|
| POSITIV (2011) Principal Stopped Diapason Octave Piccolo Larigot Cymbal 22.26 Clarionet Tremulant Positiv Sub Positiv Unison Off Positiv Octave |
8 8 4 2 1-1/3 II 8 |
gvd.bas 2012 |
|
| CHOIR Hohl Flute Viola Salicional Vox Angelica Wald Flute Nazard Flageolet Tierce Vox Humana Tremulant 'Elijah' Trompette en Chamade Choir Sub Choir Unison Off Choir Octave Swell to Choir Positiv to Choir |
8 8 8 8 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 8 8 |
(enclosed except Trompette) TC TA 1987 1987 TA 1987 2012 |
|
| PEDAL Quint Bass Open Diapason Bourdon Principal Flute Octave Flute Trombone Double Trumpet Trumpet Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Positiv to Pedal Choir to Pedal |
32 16 16 8 8 4 16 16 8 |
derived 1987 B B B 1987 A A |
Great and Pedal Comb Coupled
Compass: 58/30
Electro-pneumatic action
The Laurie drawstop console is now placed forward in the gallery, and the 1929 Taylor console, disconnected, is placed at the rear.
Addition of a 16ft flue on Great and Pedal, and a 2ft stop to the Swell has been provided for at the two consoles.11
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
the new Positiv section on the gallery rail and the relocated main cases
[photograph by John Maidment (2 December 2012)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
the new Trompette en Chamade and the relocated main cases
[photograph by John Maidment (2 December 2012)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
the new Great Trumpet 8
[photograph by John Maidment (2 December 2012)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
Great pipework
[photograph by John Maidment (30 November 2011)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
Swell pipework
[photograph by John Maidment (30 November 2011)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
Positiv pipework before fitting of Clarionet
[photograph by John Maidment (30 November 2011)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
the rebuilt 1929 console, preserved at the rear of the gallery
[photograph by John Maidment (30 November 2011)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
the 2011 nave console : left stop jamb
[photograph by John Maidment (30 November 2011)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
the 2011 nave console : right stop jamb
[photograph by John Maidment (30 November 2011)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
main façade of the church
[photograph by John Maidment (2 December 2012)]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Middle Park:
the apse showing the Zettler stained glass windows
[photograph by John Maidment (21 November 2010)]
1 http://www.sj-mc.org.au/information/brief-history-of-the-parish.html from Paul Chandler, O.Carm., The Carmelites in Australia: A brief history (1981)
2 The Argus 1 December 1890, p.6
3 Ibid., 30 Nov 1891, p.7
4 The Advocate 8 February 1908, p.22
5 The Argus 27 August 1926, p.9
6 Ibid., 11 April 1927, p.21
7 Ibid., 11 June 1928, p.12
8 Ibid., 21 June 1929, p.15
9 Specification noted by John Maidment 1966
10 Details noted by John Maidment 1987
11 Specification and details noted by John Maidment 2011, 2012