Pipe Organs in WA
 
 
 
 
 

St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Albany
The pipe organs of Western Australia



St John Albany

Albany St John

Albany St John

Albany St John

Albany St John

Albany St John

St John Albany
Photo: Douglas Sellick


Property
Name of institution   St John the Evangelist Anglican Church
Type of institution0   Church
Street Address   York Street
City   Albany
State   Western Australia
Postcode  
Country   Australia
Name of building   St John the Evangelist Anglican Church
Name of room   Church sanctuary
Dates of the building   Constructed between 1841 and 1848
Consecrated by Bishop Short of Adelaide on 25 October 1848
Register of Heritage Places   Permanent Entry 09/02/1996
Heritage Place number   03514
Architect  
Builder  

Special architectural features   St. John's Church is a fine example of Old Colonial Gothick Picturesque architecture.

Special fittings   Stained glass windows dating from 1874.

Other location information   The Anglican Church of St John the Evangelist is the oldest church to be consecrated in Western Australia. The ceremony was conducted by Bishop Short from Adelaide on October 25th, 1848. At consecration, the church could accommodate the total population of the town - 170 people. Construction began in 1841 and went through many stages.

The Rectory was commenced in 1850. Walls were of 'cob' - a traditional mixture of clay, marl, chalk, gravel and straw, 45 cm thick. The brick upper floor was added in 1875. A second rectory was built behind the original in the 1980s.

Name of contact  
Mailing Address  
Telephone  
Email  
Other contact information  

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Previous organ(s)
Date of previous organ   1850

Detail of previous organ   Barrel organ built by G.M. Holdich, London.

Dates when key work has been undertaken   Replaced by a harmonium c1860.

Dates of any moves that have taken place  
Variations from original design of organ  
Information on previous organ  
Information about comparable instruments to previous organ  
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Present organ
Type of installation   Chamber

Case description  

Placement in room   Right side transept

Builder's name   Hill & Son, London

Opus number   2072

Date of completion/installation   1891

Construction materials  

Number of manuals   One (1)

Key compasses  

Number of keys   56

Key material  

Pedal compass  

Number of pedals  

Pedalboard type  

Pedalboard material  

Type of chests   Slider

Type of key action   Tracker

Type of stop action   Mechanical

Couplers  

Tremulants  

Accessories   

Console type   Integral with casework

Stop label material  

Placement  

General design  

Playing aids  

Divisions   Great (Manual)

Wind pressures  

Stop list  
MANUAL
Open Diapason 8'
Gedect 8'
Dulciana 8'
Principal 4'
Suabe Flute 4'
Fifteenth 2'
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PEDAL
Pulldowns
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Total number of stops   Six (6)

Total number of ranks   Six (6)

Total number of pipes  

Dates when key work has been undertaken on current organ   Originally hand pumped but electric powered blower installed by Fredrick Hufner c. 1941.
Restored 1976 Paul F. Hufner, Inglewood.
Bellows releathered and returned to double rise operation by Patrick Elms & Co 1998

Dates of any moves that have taken place to current organ  

Information on current organ   J.R.(Bob ) Elms writes:
St John has a huge list of names of pumpers written in pencil on the panels at the side an rear of the organ with dates going back to the 1890s. Unfortunately they have been covered with masonite which I guess preserves them from somebody deciding they are graffiti and cleaning them off!! It happens.

I approached the vestry years ago in an attempt to have some preservation of the names done but no action was taken.

Comparable instruments to current organ  

Assessment of organ and current status  

Other organs by this builder  

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Document control Original entries J R Elms, OAM, Gazetteer of Western Australian Pipe Organs, 1971, 1999, 2003 and 2004.
This entry D B Duncan 23 Nov 2008.
Historical photograph of church from National Library of Australia
Photographs of church and windows from the church web site.
Photograph of church outside long view by Bruce Duncan 15 Jan 2009.
Correction and addition to detail by Bob Elms 01 Dec 2010.
Updated specification from Patrick Elms 04 Jan 2011.
Photograph of organ by Douglas Sellick added 30 Jan 2012.