St John's Presbyterian Church
Warrnambool

1925 F. Taylor; reb. 1949 Hill, Norman & Beard; 2m., 23 sp. st., 8c., el.pn.

Photo above: Trevor Bunning (Jan 2011)

 

Prominently placed on a hill to the north of Warrnambool, St John's Presbyterian Church was built in 1875 to the design of local architect Andrew Kerr. The building comprised a six-bay nave and tower built over a school room. In 1885 transepts were added. A disastrous fire in 1920 destroyed the roof and contents of the building. The prominent Melbourne architect Henry H. Kemp in association with Warrnambool architect J.J. Forrester rebuilt the church at a cost of £12,155. The external appearance of the 1875 church was retained but the interior included new polished blackwood furnishings and leadlight windows.

The original George Fincham organ of 1886, enlarged in 1893, was destroyed in the fire. The new organ was built by Frederick Taylor, of Hawthorn and opened in 1925. It was rebuilt in 1949 by Hill, Norman & Beard (Australia) Pty Ltd who converted the tubular-pneumatic key and stop actions to electro-pneumatic and altered the original console through the introduction of stop keys in place of the original drawstops. However, this is the largest example of Frederick Taylor's work to remain tonally intact - larger examples at Mosman and Manly in NSW have either been broken up or greatly altered. The organ case is also of particular interest, copying Henry Kemp's earlier design for the 1909 Hill & Son organ at 'Dalvui', Noorat, moved in 1915 to the Chapel at Geelong Grammar School. Executed in polished blackwood, the facade pipes retain their original decoration in light and dark buff with gilt mouths. Tonally, the organ is notable for its bold unison diapasons, chorus work on both manuals, and two fine reed stops.

GREAT Lieblich Bourdon Open Diapason I Open Diapason II Clarabella Dulciana Principal Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Swell Sub Octave to Great Swell to Great Swell Octave to Great SWELL Bourdon Open Diapason Lieblich Gedeckt Viole Voix Celeste Gemshorn Mixture 15.19.22 Horn Oboe Sub Octave Unison Off Octave Tremulant PEDAL Open Diapason Bourdon Echo Bourdon Principal Flute Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal

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

A TC B C A B C

Electro-pneumatic action
Detached stopkey console
Compass: 61/30

St John's Presbyterian Church, Warrnambool (postcard of exterior, c.1900)


Photos supplied by JRM May 2006