Pipe Organs in WA
 
 
 
 
 

John XXIII College Chapel, Mount Claremont
The pipe organs of Western Australia




John XXIII College

John XXIII College

John XXIII College

John XXIII College

Property
Name of institution   John XXIII College
Type of institution0   School
Street Address   Mooro Drive
City   Mount Claremont
State   Western Australia
Postcode   6010
Country   Australia
Name of building   Chapel
Name of room   Sanctuary
Dates of the building   1986
Register of Heritage Places   Adopted 15 Apr 1999
Heritage Place number   13631
Architect   Brand Deykin & Hay
Builder   Clough Engineering

Special architectural features and fittings   The chapel is basically square in plan with the roof trusses spanning diagonally across the space in pairs, forming a cruciform overhead. Each of the corners is faceted. Three corners are entrances while the fourth houses the altar of the chapel. To improve lines of sight the floor follows the diagonal geometry of the roof structure and steps down to the altar. For flexibility in use, none of the seating inside the chapel is fixed. The supporting functions of the chapel such as the sacristy, storage, change rooms and a smaller chapel are placed around the outside of the chapel, in between the entrances.

Religious buildings have a tradition of expressing their structure in a dramatic way, dating back to Gothic times. In Australian religious buildings, this was most often in the form of finely crafted timber roof structures. John XXIII Chapel, part of a primary and secondary college campus in the Perth suburb of Claremont, continues this tradition with a beautifully detailed exposed roof structure of glue laminated Jarrah trusses spanning almost 20 metres across the chapel.

Other location information   The buildings are cut into the hill of Mount Claremont. There are a series of retaining walls. The colouring of the terracotta roofs and limestone coloured concrete block make the building settle into the landscape. It is a good example of scale and detailing.

The upper level windows, where they occur, are deep set with long sloping window sills. The Colonnades comprise of simple. heavy cylindrical concrete columns or rough faced squared columns. The roof edge detailing has exposed timber rafters with minimal eaves overhang and no gutters. The large paved areas allow for students to mill across the open courtyards interspersed with trees. The windows are natural anodised aluminium.

Its character is reminiscent of the work of the Roman Catholic priest - architect Monsignor Hawes who is best known for the Geraldton Cathedral.

Name of contact  
Mailing Address  
Telephone   08 9383 0400
Email  
Other contact information   College web site.

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Previous organ(s)
Date of previous organ   None
Detail of previous organ  
Dates when key work has been undertaken  
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   Freestanding

Case description  

Placement in room   Rear gallery

Builder's name   J.W. Walker & Sons, Ruislip, Middlesex.

Opus number  

Date of completion/installation   1969

Construction materials  

Number of manuals  

Key compasses  

Number of keys  

Key material  

Pedal compass  

Number of pedals  

Pedalboard type  

Pedalboard material  

Type of chests  

Type of key action   Electro-magnetic

Type of stop action   Electro-magnetic

Couplers   Swell - Great
Swell - Pedal
Great - Pedal

Tremulants  

Accessories   

Console type  

Stop label material  

Placement  

General design  

Playing aids  

Divisions   Great, Swell, Pedal

Wind pressures  

Stop list  
GREAT
Open Diapason 8' A
Lieblich Gedeckt 8' B
Dulciana 8' C
Principal 4' A
Twelfth 2 2/3' C
Fifteenth 3' C
Mixture III
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SWELL
Open Diapason 8' A
Lieblich Gedeckt 8' B
Dulciana 8' C
Gedeckt Flute 4' B
Dulcet 4' C
Nazard 2 2/3' C
Flautino 2' C
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PEDAL
Bourdon 16' B
Quint 10 1/3' B
Bass Flute 8' B
Octave Flute 4' B
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Total number of stops   18

Total number of ranks   3 ranks extended plus Mixture.

Total number of pipes   306

Dates when key work has been undertaken on current organ  

Dates of any moves that have taken place to current organ   Built in 1969 for St Paul's Presbyterian Church, Nedlands.

Removed and installed at John XXIII College in 1996 by Pipe Organ Builders and Services.

Information on current organ  

Comparable instruments to current organ   A similar organ is at St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church, Cannington.

Assessment of organ and current status  

Other organs by this builder   There are several organs by J.W. Walker & Sons in Western Australia. Please refer to Western Australian Organs Builders Index

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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 31 January 2009.
Technical drawing from University of Tasmania.
Photograph of chapel exterior from Brand Deykin & Hay.