| Name of institution |
St Francis Xavier Cathedral |
| Type of institution |
Catholic Church |
| Street Address |
Cathedral Avenue |
| City |
Geraldton |
| State |
Western Australia |
| Postcode |
6530
|
| Country |
Australia |
| Name of building |
St Francis Xavier Cathedral |
| Name of room |
|
| Dates of the building |
1916-1938 |
| Architect's and builder's names |
Priest architect John Cyril Hawes arrived in Geraldton in 1915 to
take up the parish priest position. He started work on the cathedral straight
away. The cathedral's foundation stone was laid in 1916 and the building was
completed in 1938.
|
| Special architectural features |
The Cathedral is of the Inter War Romanesque period and style of
architecture, although the HCWA Register Entry and assessment by Ian
Molyneux, attributes it principally as Arts & Crafts whilst
acknowledging Romanesque influences and elements.
"St Francis Xavier Cathedral, through manipulation of the site in the
Arts & Crafts manner, generates a cultural environment in its own
right. The aesthetic qualities include a deliberate synthesis of
aesthetic experiences, Hawes, himself, attributed a Roman style to St
Francis Xavier Cathedral, with features from the Norman-Romanesque
(11th Century) and Renaissance (17th Century) and admitted to borrowing
the towers from the Californian Franciscan missions of San Luis Rey and
Santa Barbara (18th & 119th Centuries)."
The Cathedral is built of local Geraldton stone, and confidently employs
wide-span arches and skillfully laid rubble and ashlar. Rendered mouldings
emphasise openings and decoration, providing contrast against the textured
stonework. The main form of the building follows the east-west axis which is
accentuated, at the western end, by twin, stepped towers either side of the
Romanesque arched entry and recessed baroque styled, elevated gable end which
terminates the nave. The stepped, or tiered, dome capped towers are octagonal in
plan at the upper levels over square, ground floor bases. At the lower level,
the northern tower has louvered circular openings originally intended for clocks
whilst the southern tower has vertical arched openings. Together with a large
octagonal dome at the crossing with the minor north-south axis, the towers
dominate the Cathedral.
To the east a smaller, circular, 15th century chateaux
style tower, identifies the sacristy externally and provides a visual contrast
or incongruity to the overall Romanesque character of the Cathedral. Thought to
be a later addition, this tower is more reminiscent of Hawes' Northampton, St
Mary's in Ara Coeli Church (1936). The higher central nave is given expression
externally by the lower roofed aisles with their rendered arched windows and
decoration.
|
| Special fittings |
The interior features
Romanesque columns, huge arches beneath an octagonal dome and zebra striping of
the walls. Needless to say the architecture is a blend of styles. In as far as the design it may be said it
follows the round arched classical style of ancient Rome. The
twin towers of the west from are very much like the Californian Mission Church
in Santa Barbara and the large central dome over
the crossing has a fleeting resemblance to Brunellesci's famous Cupola in Florence.
The first thing that strikes most people about the
interior of the building is its colouring - arranged in stripes of grey with orange
markings. It resembles the fashion of many churches and cathedrals of Italy, such as
Sienna and Orvieto. Visitors who have visited the Great Mosque at El Cordoba, Spain, also
remark on the similarity of interior design, albeit on a much smaller scale,
and the colour scheme.
|
| Other location information |
St Francis Xavier Cathedral is a spectacular church in the centre of
Geraldton that you will find as magnificent on the inside as it looks from the
outside.
Designed by the parish priest John Hawes, it took 22 years to build.
|
| Name of contact |
|
| Mailing Address |
|
| Telephone |
08 9483 1111 |
| Email |
|
| Other contact information |
|
| . |
|
| Previous organ(s) |
|
| Date of previous organ |
1980-81 |
| Detail of previous organ |
F.J. Larner & Co built a freestanding organ in the left chancel.
The organ featured polished Jarrah casework, Great above Swell with two flanking Pedal towers.
There were two manuals and pedal in a reverse facing console, mechanical key action and electro-pneumatic stop action with
17 stops controlling 19 ranks and a total of 960 pipes in three divisions.
Accessories included 6 adjustable general combination pistons, balanced Swell pedal.
There was a tremulant on the Swell and the couplers were Swell - Great, Swell - Pedal, Great - Pedal
Manual key compass was CC=g (56 notes)
Pedal compass was CCC-F (30 notes)
| GREAT |
|
|
|
| Principal |
8' |
Display |
|
| Chimney Flute |
8' |
|
|
| Octave |
4' |
|
|
| Twelfth |
2-2/3' |
|
|
| Flagelot |
2' |
|
|
| Tierce TG |
1-3/5' |
|
|
| Mixture 19.22 |
II |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| SWELL |
|
|
|
| Hohl Flute |
8' |
Wood |
|
| Gemshorn |
8' |
1993 |
|
| Spitz Flute |
4' |
|
|
| Principal |
2' |
|
|
| Quint |
1-1/3' |
|
|
| Cymbal 26.29 |
II |
|
|
| Tremulant |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| PEDAL |
|
|
|
| Subbass |
16' |
Wood |
|
| Gedecktbass |
8' |
Wood |
|
| Choral Bass |
4' |
|
|
| Bassoon |
16' |
1993 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dates when key work has been undertaken |
Organ was completed by F.J. Larner & Co in 1993-94 with the addition of Swell Gemshorn and Pedal Bassoon. |
| Dates of any moves that have taken place |
The organ was taken down and a new instrument constructed in 2017. This organ was subsumed into the new instrument. |
| Variations from original design of organ |
None |
|
Information on previous organ |
This organ was the first mechanical action instrument to be built
with a reversed console in Western Australia. Trackers ran in three tiers under the console platform into the organ body.
The tracker action incorporated floating backfall beams to adjust to temperature extremes found in Geraldton so that the
depth of touch at the keys remained constant throughout the year.
This organ was an oustanding instrument in tone, finish and playability - said to be the finest of the John Larner organs.
Detail of the organ taken from the opening booklet (1981) and from observation of the instrument by Bruce Duncan.
|
|
Information about comparable instruments to previous organ |
John Larner built many instruments for Western Australia. Please refer to the Organ Builders index. |
| . |
|
| Present organ |
|
| Type of installation |
Gallery and chancel |
| Case description |
Polished Jarrah |
| Placement in room |
West gallery and North transept |
| Builder's name |
Pipe Organs of WA |
| Opus number |
|
| Date of completion/installation |
2017 |
| Construction materials |
|
| Number of manuals |
Three (3) manuals on mobile console
Two (2) manuals on gallery console |
| Key compasses |
CC-ggg |
| Number of keys |
56 |
| Key material |
|
| Pedal compass |
CCC-F |
| Number of pedals |
30 |
| Pedalboard type |
|
| Pedalboard material |
|
| Type of chests |
Slider |
| Type of key action |
Electric |
| Type of stop action |
Electric |
| Couplers |
Sw - Gt
Sw - Gt Sub
Cant - Gt
Sw - Cant
Sw - Ped
Gt - Ped
Cant - Ped
Sw sub
Sw super
Cant super
Gt & Ped Comb Coupled |
| Tremulants |
Swell |
| Accessories |
10 General pistons
6 Divisionals to each division
6 Reversible coupler pistons
Sequencer Next, Previous
Memory levels UP and DOWN
Full Organ
Control panel with 2 line LED and 6 buttons for accessing functions. |
| Console type |
In the Gallery between cases (console from previous organ)
A mobile console is located in nave |
| Stop label material |
|
| Placement |
Gallery console has drawstops on angled jambs
Mobile console is terraced |
| General design |
|
| Playing aids |
Balanced Swell pedal |
| Divisions |
Great, Swell, Cantoris, Pedal |
| Wind pressures |
|
| Stop list |
| GREAT |
|
|
|
| Principal |
8' |
56 new |
|
| Rohr Flute |
8' |
|
|
| Principal |
4' |
|
|
| Harmonic Flute |
4' |
56 new |
|
| Twelfth |
2-2/3' |
|
|
| Fifteenth |
2' |
|
|
| Fourniture IV |
|
224 new |
|
| Trompette |
8' |
56 new |
|
|
|
|
|
| SWELL |
|
|
|
| Hohl Flute |
8' |
|
|
| Gemshorn |
8' |
|
|
| Celeste |
8' |
44 new |
|
| Spitz Flute |
4' |
|
|
| Flagelot |
2' |
|
|
| Quintlein |
1-1/3' |
|
|
| Oboe |
8' |
|
|
| Tremulant |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| PEDAL |
|
|
|
| Subbass |
16' |
|
|
| Principal |
8' |
borrowed |
GT |
| Flute bass |
8' |
|
|
| Fifteenth |
4' |
|
|
| Bassoon |
16' |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| CANTORIS |
|
|
|
| Principal |
8' |
|
|
| Stopped Diapason |
8' |
56 recycle |
A |
| Dolce |
8' |
56 new |
|
| Celeste |
8' |
44 new |
|
| Principal |
4' |
56 new |
|
| Trompette |
8' |
from GT |
|
| |
|
|
|
| CANTORIS PEDAL |
|
|
|
| Sub Bass |
16' |
12 new |
A |
|
|
extended |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total number of stops |
27 |
| Total number of ranks |
24 |
| Total number of pipes |
1328 |
|
Dates when key work has been undertaken on current organ |
First Organ was built in 1980-81 and then completed by F.J. Larner & Co in 1993-94 with the addition of Swell Gemshorn and Pedal Bassoon.
New organ developed 2017 by Pipe Organs of WA with John Larner acting as tonal director.
Carillon added to the organ in November 2019. |
|
Dates of any moves that have taken place to current organ |
None |
| Information on current organ |
An outstanding instrument.
Since the organ was completed the Cathedral commissioned an automatic carillon, which was subsequently installed in the western towers in 2019.
The 27 bells range in size from 40 kilograms to one tonne.
They were been made by the foundry of John Taylor & Co, Loughborough, United Kingdom.
Eight of the bells were obtained from the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul in Godalming, England, and were tuned down to form the lower tones and semi-tones.
Nineteen new bells were cast to complete the carillon.
The bells are tuned to modern concert pitch and are sounded by electro-magnetic hammers. Three of the largest bells are hung for slow swinging and are swung by electric motor.
The carillon is played from the organ consoles and can also be played through the internet from anywhere in the world.
The bells are programmed to ring the quarter hours between 8am and 6pm every day.
They can play specific tunes for weddings, funerals and baptisms as well as birthday or other community events.
The Apollo control unit will also play hymns and tunes at various times throughout the day as well as the anthem of any country celebrating a National Day.
English change ringing can also be programmed.
This is the only carillon and operating system of its type in the Southern Hemisphere and is said to be Australia's largest church carillon.
|
| Comparable instruments to current organ |
|
| Current status |
In excellent condition and regular use |
| Assessment of organ |
|
| Other organs by this builder |
Refer to be Western Australian Pipe Organ Builders index |
| Photographs |
Photograph of church exterior from Britannica
Photographs of church interior and Larner organ by Bruce Duncan.
Photographs of new organ by Graham Devenish and Dominic Perrisinotto |
| Technical documents |
|
| General documents |
Architectual information from City of Geraldton-Greenough
Information about the cathedral from the Geraldton Diocese
In The Pipeline, February 2018 |
| . |
|
| Supporting information |
|
| . |
|
| Document control |
Original entries J R Elms, OAM, Gazetteer of Western Australian Pipe Organs, 1971, 1999,2003 and 2004.
Entry on Larner organ by D B Duncan 08 January 2009.
Additional detail from F J Larner & Co brochure, 2000.
Organ subsumed into new instrument 2017.
This entry created by Bruce Duncan 18 March 2018.
Information on carillon by Bruce Duncan 19 Jan 2021
|
