Wesley Uniting Church
Portland
B 1885 George Fincham. 1m, 8 sp. st, 1c, tr. Man: 8.8.8.8.4.4.2. Ped: 16.
Reb & enl 1936 Geo Fincham & Sons (incorporating casework from 1875
Fincham organ formerly in St Mary's Church, Caulfield).
2m, 13 sp. st, 3c, tub pn. Gt: 8.8.8.4. Sw: 8.8.8.8.4.2.8. Ped: 16.16.
Wesley Church was built in 1865 in bluestone to the design of Daniel Nicholson. The façade incorporates a pediment and Doric pilasters with a Romanesque window centrally placed beneath an arch.
The organ was built in 1885 by George Fincham at a cost of £229, consisting of a single manual with eight speaking stops:
MANUAL |
8 8 8 4 4 2 8 16 |
gvd bass TC (loud) 12 pipes |
3 composition pedals
All enclosed except Open Diapason and Bourdon
This instrument was rebuilt and enlarged to two manuals in 1936 by George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd through the addition of an unenclosed Great Organ. L.V.H. Fincham wrote to the church on 28 October 1936:
We propose using a case at present in our factory, it is higher and more imposing than yours and it will enable us to supply you with a larger scale Great Open Diapason.
The casework came from the 1875 George Fincham organ at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Caulfield – a photograph of this instrument was taken by Harold Rooksby before 1934.
This instrument remains unaltered. The casework and façade pipes have recently been refinished.
GREAT |
8 8 8 4 8 8 8 8 4 2 8 16 16 |
TC derived |
Compass: 61/30
Attached stopkey console
Tubular-pneumatic action
This photograph of the organ case when at St Mary’s Caulfield
was taken by Harold Rooksby before 1934.
Photos: JRM (Oct. 2008)
Victorian Churches, edited by Miles Lewis. East Melbourne; National Trust of Australia (Victoria), 1991, p.143
George Fincham letters 4/207, 25 May 1885
George Fincham & Sons ‘out’ correspondence, 12 October, 28 October 1936
John Maidment
15 October 2008