Christ Church Uniting Church
King William Road, Waywille

B 1983 Roger H. Pogson; 2-2/3 and 1-1/3 added 2001 Tom Way.
2m, 9spst, 3c, tr. Gt: 8.4.2-2/3.2.III. Sw: 8.4.2.1-1/3.II. Ped: 16.

 

From the 2009 OHTA Conference Book, David Shield writes:


The congregation worshipping at Wayville Christ Church Uniting traces its history to the first half of the 19th century.  Worshipping first in Arthur Street, Unley, the facilities were outgrown and a saw a larger church built in King William Road.  Changing circumstances led to a downsizing, selling the old and constructing the new.  Initially, a barrel organ accompanied the singing, but was replaced with a succession of reed instruments.  The Broad family, when at the King William Street site, pushed for a pipe organ and two were eventually installed.  When the congregation moved to the present site a new organ was acquired from Roger Pogson, of Orange, New South Wales.¹

 

The history of the congregation at Christ Church may be traced back to 1849.  A Wesleyan Methodist chapel in Arthur Street, Unley, was opened on Sunday 7 December 1851 but soon became inadequate.  This building possessed a barrel organ which was replaced by a reed organ from James Broad.²

 

In 1877, an acre of land was purchased on King William Road.  On 24 May 1880 the foundation stone of Unley Wesleyan Methodist Church was laid, opening January 1881.

 

This became the spiritual home for James Broad and his family.  Broad was a successful business man and, from a young age, Wesleyan lay preacher connected with Pirie Street.  His eldest son was taken into partnership sharing his father’s love for music and having pretensions of being an organ builder.³  Prominent in the church, neither father nor son could convince the church authorities to purchase a pipe organ for the new building.  The trustees had financial priorities in other directions.  Various memorials to the Broads can still be seen in the new church.  Things did improve, however, and a pipe organ eventuated.

 

Further research is needed to determine the builder of the organ finally placed in the church in 1902.  This instrument served until 1926 when it was sold to make way for a new one.  It went to Holy Trinity on North Terrace and became the nucleus of the Grenfell Memorial organ in that church.  The new instrument was provided by William Leopold Roberts and remained in the building till sold to private possession in 1982.

 

In 1976, changing circumstances had led to a rationalisation of properties and the King William Road church and Roberts organ was sold.  The congregation moved to the Parkin-Wesley Theological College campus worshipping in Lade Hall until Christ Church was completed and dedicated on 17 April 1983.  The architect for the new building was Colin Norton, of Brown Falconer Pty Ltd.  With the new church came a new organ built by Roger Pogson in 1983. This was the first instrument to come from the firm’s new manufactory in Orange, New South Wales.  The casework has pipe shades with diagonal motifs deriving from the angular roof structure and has been constructed from Brazilian myrtle.  The keyboards are capped in Tasmanian myrtle. 

 

The Spitzgedeckt 2-2/3 and Nineteenth have been added later on original spare slides.

 

 

 

Roger H. Pogson Pty Ltd 1983

2 manuals, 11 speaking stops, mechanical action

 

GREAT ORGAN
Rohrflute	8
Principal	4	in façade
Spitzgedeckt	2-2/3	added later
Spitzflute	2
Mixture	III
Swell to Great
SWELL ORGAN
Gemshorn	8
Flute	4
Principal	2
Nineteenth	1-1/3	added later
Sesquialtera	II
Tremulant
PEDAL ORGAN
Bourdon	16	wood
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

 

Compass:  56/30

Balanced swell pedal

Couplers operated by toe pedals

Attached drawstop console

 

 

Photos: JRM (Oct 2009)







3 Photos above: Rodney Ford (Oct 2009)




Photos: PdL (Oct 2009)

 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

1  Information from detailed research D. Shield and church pamphlet: UCA Christ Church A Christian Community of Care Worship Study fellowship [1983]

 

2  Register, 15 October 1878, p. 5.1; James Broad became sole agent for the sale of Bell American organs

 

3  For the work of J.J. Broad see also sections on Kapunda and connections to Rendall and Mackenzie.  His brother Edwin became a telegraphist and was a competent organist.  Alfred, the artist, may have decorated the pipework of the organ at Christ Church Kapunda, the Moonta Mines Uniting (formerly Methodist) Church and the Moonta Anglican Church.