St Patrick's Catholic Cathedral

cnr Albert & Gisborne Streets, East Melbourne

First organ, builder unknown, installed 1850s in earlier building,
see: Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Knoxfield
Second organ, begun 1877-1879 Robert Mackenzie;
completed George Fincham 1880 – 1896
Present organ, built 1962-64 George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd
with later alterations 1996-97 Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd
4 manuals, 81 speaking stops, 24 couplers, electro-pneumatic action




St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne: exterior from the north-west showing the towers and spires
[photograph by John Maidment (9 August 2017) ]


Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA (last updated January 2025)


The foundation stone of the first church on this site, dedicated to St Patrick, and designed by Samuel Marshall, was laid on 9 April 1850.1 A larger church, designed by Charles Hansom, was intended to replace this building and was only partially completed. The foundation stone of the present Cathedral, designed by William Wardell, was laid on 25 March 18602 and included masonry from the earlier building. The majority of the present nave was opened in 1868 and the completed building, apart from the towers and spires, opened in 1897. Built in bluestone and sandstone, it was designed in the Decorated Gothic style, with both English and French influences, and was among the largest church buildings in the world largely completed in the 19th century. The three towers and spires were completed and opened in 1939. The building includes significant stained glass and metal work by John Hardman & Sons, Birmingham.



St Patrick's Cathedral – first organ, shown at the Congregational Church, Castlemaine
[photograph by John Maidment (February 1966)]

The first organ, now at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Knoxfield, includes the casework and some pipework from an organ built in England in the first half of the 19th century. It is possible that it came from the West Country and may have been the work of the organbuilder John Smith, of Bristol as it visually resembles some of its work (such as the 1815 organ for Penn Street Tabernacle, Bristol) and the firm had a representative in Melbourne Henry Smith 1853-55. When it arrived in Melbourne, it was certainly second-hand and maybe one of the instruments advertised in the newspaper The Argus. It appears to have been installed in the earlier St Patrick's Church, Melbourne but would have had to be removed and stored before the opening of the nave of St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne in 1868. This organ was removed and installed at St Brigid's Catholic Church, North Fitzroy in 1882 and later placed at the Congregational Church, Castlemaine.



St Patrick's Cathedral – view of the interior from the north aisle showing
outline of organ in the south aisle (Illustrated Australian News, January 1871)

This organ was placed at the east end of the south aisle but was clearly highly inadequate. In 1867, Bishop James Goold attended the Paris Exposition and would have seen a large prize-winning organ exhibited by Merklin-Schütze, of Brussels that was destined for a church in Nancy. An organ was ordered from this illustrious firm in 1870 and was destined for Melbourne Cathédrale according to its records. It would have proven most adequate for the nave as it existed then. The organ had a fine neo-Gothic case 27 feet high and it could have stood happily in one of the aisles. However, it ended up at St John's Church in Toorak where it was placed in a very cramped position in a side chapel and failed to sound or appear to advantage. This organ has now been in storage for 20 years and its future is uncertain. Further details of this organ are on a web page for Cato Uniting Church, Elsternwick.



St Patrick's Cathedral – the organ and gallery at the west end [The Australasian Sketcher (27 March 1880)]

In 1876, Professor C.A. Tracy designed a three-manual organ of 52 speaking stops and eight couplers for the cathedral. His design included a full-length 32ft Double Open Diapason. It was to be divided and placed on a rear gallery, recently erected beneath the colossal west window.3 Clearly such an organ could never have been satisfactorily accommodated in such a constricted position. Robert Mackenzie was commissioned to build this organ and imported parts and pipework from Britain. However, progress was very unsatisfactory, so George Fincham was engaged to complete a far smaller organ using the existing materials. On 14 March 1880, this organ was opened. The specification was published as follows although not all of the specified stops were present:

GREAT (only 8 completed)
Open Diapason
Bourdon
Open Diapason large
Open Diapason small
Hohl Flute
Stopped Diapason
Gamba
Principal
Harmonic Flute
Gemshorn
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Trumpet


16
16
8
8
8
8
8
4
4
4
3
2
8

 
SWELL (only 7 completed)
Double Diapason
Open Diapason
Stopped Diapason
Keraulophon
Gamba
Principal
Flute
Gemshorn
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Cornopean


16
8
8
8
8
4
4
4
3
2
8

 
PEDAL
Open Diapason
Principal

16
8

metal

3 couplers
3 composition pedals
61 note compass4

The casework was designed by Henderson & Smart.

There is a range throughout of five octaves. The three manuals which the instrument shows at present will allow for the extension of the organ without interfering with the delicate mechanism with which the player's desk is crowded. The pneumatic action is applied to each division of the instrument and the tone is unexceptionable throughout. Mr Fincham has literally done wonders within the last few days in completing an instrument so large, so handsome, and so elaborate in construction.5

In 1886, George Fincham added three stops to the Great, two to the Swell and a Pedal Bourdon and a large-scale Clarionet to the Great in 1889.6

In June 1896, the organ was enlarged by George Fincham. The central bays of the side cases were moved forwards for improved access. To the Great was added an Open no 2, Quint and Clarion. The Clarionet was moved to the Choir. To the Swell was added an Oboe and Celeste. A new Choir Organ was added: Dulciana, Harmonic Flute, Rohr Flote, Flute Octaviante, Gemshorn Harmonic, Clarionet (from Great) and Orchestral Oboe. The following stops were prepared for on the Pedal Organ: Open 16ft wood, Fifteenth, Trombone.7

ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL ORGAN

The Cathedral organ, though a very fine instrument as originally erected, is undergoing some very extensive and costly improvements. The organ will remain in its present position, but will be very materially enlarged, and will contain the necessary variety of tone colour so essential to the Church services. The whole of the contents of the key console is at the factory of Messrs. Fincham and Hobday, who have been entrusted with the work, and is being modernised quite to date. The special form of tubular pneumatic action devised by the firm is applied to the whole of the stop and' key action, which will render the touch absolutely perfect in precision and repetition. The pneumatic combination buttons will be used to replace the old combination pedals, and will give to the organist greatly increased facilities, as each button operates on the registers pertaining to its own manual, together with pedals and couplers. The position of the console will be reversed, and, it is judged, this will be to the advantage of the choir. The alterations will necessitate an extension of, and replanting the main bay of each of the side fronts, and this extension has been planned with such judgment that the projection of the case will not materially reduce the view of the magnificent south window. An entirely new choir organ will be added, containing six 8ft., two, 4ft., and one 2ft. stops, in which are four flutes, various, and two reeds, all of them being for solo work; the great organ will be enlarged by three stops, viz., one 8ft., one 6ft., and one 4ft., and the swell organ increased by two 8ft. stops. The original pedal organ will not be enlarged during the present alterations, but it is generally acknowledged that it will require considerable additions, which, no doubt, will result in good time. The builders, recognising this necessity, have, with considerable forethought, and with a view of economising the outlay (when this portion of the organ is increased), provided for the eventual completion of the pedal organ. Messrs. Fincham and Hobday feel they have been splendidly treated by the Dean, inasmuch as the planning and order of alterations, improvements, and enlargement suggested by the firm have been adopted without question. This confidence should, and no doubt will, result happily, and the high reputation they have obtained for high class work be in every way sustained. A considerable portion of these alterations will be completed in about two months' time.8

The specification of the organ now read:

GREAT
Double Open Diapason
Open Diapason (large scale)
Open Diapason (small scale)
Hohl Flote
Stop Diapason
Salicional
Quint
Principal
Wald Flute
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Trumpet
Clarion


16
8
8
8
8
8
6
4
4
3
2
8
4

   
SWELL
Double Diapason
Open Diapason
Stop Diapason
Gamba
Celeste
Principal
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Mixture
Cornopean
Oboe
Vox Humana


16
8
8
8
8
4
3
2
3 ranks
8
8
8













prepared-for

 
CHOIR
Flute Harmonic
Dulciana
Rohr Flote
Viola
Flute Octaviante
Clear Flute
Gemshorn Harmonic
Clarionet
Orchestral Oboe


8
8
8
8
4
4
2
8
8

   
PEDAL
Open Diapason (metal)
Bourdon
Principal
and prepared to receive:
Open Diapason (wood)
Fifteenth
Trombone


16
16
8

16
4
16

   
COUPLERS
Swell to Great
Swell to Great Sub
Swell to Great Super
Swell to Choir
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
     

5 combination buttons to Great
4 combination buttons to Swell

Tremulant to Swell (prepared)
Swell crescendo pedal9

In March 1911, Geo. Fincham & Son wrote to Professor Frederic Beard as follows:

St Patrick's Cathedral. Present organ to be taken down and erected in the east and west transepts, the choir organ to be erected on the sanctuary opposite the Archbishop's throne. An Echo Organ of five stops to be agreed upon, to be erected on the stone balcony above the main south window. £2550.

New console
String Gamba 8 added to Choir
Contra Cornopean 16 feet and Clarion 4 feet by adding the 16 feet octave and top octave to the present Swell Cornopean.
The following to be added to the Pedal Organ
Open Diapason wood 30 pipes 32 feet
Open Diapason wood 30 pipes 16 feet
Violon wood 30 pipes 16 feet
Fifteenth metal 30 pipes 4 feet
Trombone metal 30 pipes 16 feet10

The above scheme would have utilised electro-pneumatic action. The Fincham firm had used this previously for the Echo Organ at The Scots Church, Melbourne in 1909. This work was never implemented.

The organ, and the rear gallery, were dismantled in 1937. Portions of the Great and Swell pipework and two slider windchests went to St John's Catholic Church, East Melbourne. The Choir Organ was used in an instrument built for the Methodist Church, Devonport, Tasmania. The 16ft metal Open Diapason pipes from the two cases went to the Church of the Epiphany Anglican Church, Northcote and St Mark's Anglican Church, Camberwell.

The musical needs of St Patrick's Cathedral were met first by installation of a Hammond electronic organ in 193811 and then by a Compton electrone in 1952.12



St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne – organ case
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (2022)]

On 2 April 1962, it was announced that a new pipe organ would be installed in the Cathedral to honour the 50-year episcopacy of Archbishop Daniel Mannix.13 The organ was constructed by Geo. Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd and was dedicated on 19 July 1964.14 It was designed by Maestro Fernando Germani, Organist of the Vatican. The blackwood organ case and new platform were designed by architect Gregory Simpson and constructed by T. McCarthy & Co., Pty Ltd.15 Most of the reed ranks, including the copper Trompette-en-Chamade, and the combination and switching systems, were imported from Europe. The design of the four-manual console, with rocking tablets mounted on sloping and curved jambs, followed Italian precedents. Some of the pipework and two slider windchests from the earlier cathedral organ were retrieved from St John's Church, East Melbourne.

The organ received substantial modifications in 1996-1997 by Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd in conjunction with the cathedral's Director of Music John Mallinson. Several new ranks were introduced, borrowings were changed, the number of couplers reduced, and the whole carefully re-regulated.

GREAT
Gemshorn
Open Diapason
Gemshorn
Harmonic Flute
Stopped Diapason
Dulciana
Principal
Gemshorn
Suabe Flute
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Fourniture 12.15.19.22.26
Mixture 15.19.22.26.29
Grand Cymbel 22.26.29.33.36
Trumpet
Clarion
Swell to Great
Positiv to Great
Solo to Great


16
8
8
8
8
8
4
4
4
2-2/3
2
V
V
V
8
4





A

A




A






B






1964
1880
1964
1-12 1880, 13-61 1997
1880
1896
1880
1964
1880 Hohl Flute
1880
1880
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964




 
SWELL
Gedeckt
Open Diapason
Stopped Diapason
Viola da Gamba
Salicional
Voix Celeste
Principal
Stopped Flute
Twelfth 2
Fifteenth
Piccolo
Mixture 19.22.26.29.33
Cornet 17.19.22
Double Trumpet
Cornopean
Trompette Harmonique
Oboe
Clarion
Tremulant
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Super Octave
Solo to Swell


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







C




TC







D











1880
1880
1880
1896
1896
1896
1880
1964
1880
1880
1964
1964
1896
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964






 
POSITIV
Principal
Gedeckt
Principal
Quintadena
Nazard
Waldflöte
Tierce
Larigot
Sifflöte
Zymbel 26.29.33.26
Cromorne
Tremulant
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Super Octave
Solo to Positiv
Swell to Positiv


8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
1-3/5
1-1/3
1
IV
8








E

E


F


F









(placed in arch leading to Sacred Heart chapel: unenclosed)
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964







 
SOLO (enclosed)
Harmonic Flute
Viola
Viola Celeste
Concert Flute
Flageolet
Double Clarinet
Clarinet
Orchestral Oboe
Cor Anglais
Posaune
Clarion
Tremulant
Tuba
Trompette en Chamade
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Super Octave
Great to Solo
Swell to Solo



8
8
8
4
2
16
8
8
8
8
4

*8
*8










TC


G
G


H
H











1964
1964
1997
1964
1964 orig Schwiegel
1997
1997
1964
1964
1964 orig Tuba
1964

1997 Walker ex St George's Anglican Cathedral, Perth
1964





*unenclosed

 
PEDAL
Acoustic Bass
Open Diapason – Wood
Gemshorn
Violone
Bourdon
Gedeckt
Octave
Principal
Gemshorn
Violoncello
Bass Flute
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Flute Dolce
Mixture 19.22.26.29
Contra Bombarde
Bombarde
Double Trumpet
Double Clarinet
Bombarde
Trumpet
Clarion
Trumpet
Great to Pedal
Great to Pedal Super
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Pedal Super
Positiv to Pedal
Solo to Pedal
Solo to Pedal Super


32
16
16
16
16
16
8
8
8
8
8
5-1/3
4
4
IV
32
16
16
16
8
8
4
4









K
I
A
J
K
C
I
L
A
J
K
A
L
K
A
M
M
D
F
M
B
D
B









1964
1964
1964
1964
1886
1880
1964
1997
1964
1964
1964
1997
1997
1964
1964
1997
1964
1964
1997
1997
1964
1964
1964








 

Compass: 61/32
8 adjustable thumb pistons to Positiv
8 adjustable thumb pistons to Great
8 adjustable thumb pistons to Swell
8 adjustable thumb pistons to Solo
8 adjustable toe pistons to Pedal
8 adjustable toe pistons to Swell / Generals
12 General thumb pistons
Balanced expression pedals to Swell & Solo 16










St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne – console
[photographs by Simon Colvin (19 January 2025)]


1 Geelong Advertiser, 9 April 1850, p.2

2 The Age, 26 March 1860, p.5

3 The Advocate, 5 August 1876, p.5

4 Leader, 20 March 1880, p.5

5 The Argus, 15 March 1880, p.6

6 E.N. Matthews, Colonial Organs and Organbuilders. Carlton: Melbourne University Press, 1969, p.115

7 George Fincham letter 24 June 1896 to Arthur Hobday (State Library of Victoria)

8 The Advocate , 4 July 1896, p.16

9 George Fincham letter 31 October 1896 for The Advocate (State Library of Victoria)

10 Geo. Fincham & Son 27 March 1911 (State Library of Victoria)

11 The Advocate, 6 October 1938

12 Catholic Weekly, 9 April 1953, p.11

13 The Age, 2 March 1962.

14 St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne Calendar, June-July 1964, p.9

15 The Age, 17 July 1964

16 Specification noted by John Maidment 1997