Pipe Organs in WA
 
 
 
 
 

Chapel of St Michael and All Angels, Mount Lawley
The pipe organs of Western Australia




Mount Lawley Perth College

Mount Lawley Perth College
Photo: Boyd Peters

Mount Lawley Perth College

Mount Lawley Perth College

Mount Lawley Perth College
Photo: Boyd Peters

Property
Name of institution   Perth College
Type of institution0   School
Street Address   31 Lawley Crescent
City   Mount Lawley
State   Western Australia
Postcode   6050
Country   Australia
Name of building   Chapel of St Michael and All Angels
Name of room   Sanctuary
Dates of the building   1927
Register of Heritage Places   Permanent Entry 21/01/2005
Heritage Place number   02430
Architect   Eales and Cohen
Builder   W. H. Bell & Co

Special architectural features and fittings   The Chapel of St Michael and All Angels, a single storey chapel with two-storey cloisters, oratory and chaplains office, constructed in face brick and pressed cement with a tiled roof.

It is a very fine example of an Inter-War Gothic style chapel, cloisters, oratory and chaplains office constructed in face brick and pressed cement, with a tiled roof. Both interior and exterior are finely and simply detailed. The combination of gothic elements and partial covering of the external walls with ivy produces a picturesque image, while the interior is a simply detailed, well lit and comfortable environment.

There are many interesting features in the Chapel which date back to the time of the Sisters' and some later additions which reflect the faith of past members of the School Community. Gordon Holdsworth, renowned metalsmith, etcher and painter, was responsible for a number of the early pieces for the Chapel, including the lectern (1927) and the font (1928). Barnett Bros. were responsible for the original windows, and metal craftsman W. Priestner for the iron work. Stained glass artists E. G. Gowers and A. S. Brown were responsible for the windows depicting the archangels. Well known and successful Western Australian artist Robert Juniper designed the rose window.

Other location information   Perth College is one of the many schools founded worldwide by the Community of the Sisters of the Church, an Anglican religious order founded in 1870 by Emily Ayckbowm. The school was established in St Mary's Hall in Colin Street West Perth in 1902 with 32 girls. The demand for the introduction of boarding students increased and as a result, 'Hawkesbury' situated near Kings Park was opened in 1903. Due to the development of 'Hawkesbury' for boarders and 'Cowandilla' for the junior students together with the amalgamation of other subsidiary schools under the control of the Sisters, 1916 saw the move to the current site in Mt Lawley. Enrolments increased and the building program flourished. Feeling that their work was done and by adhering to the motto Pro Ecclesia Dei - For The Church of God, the Sisters in 1968 handed over the school to the Anglican Province of Western Australia.

Name of contact  
Mailing Address   PO Box 25, Mount Lawley, WA, 6929
Telephone   (08) 9471 2100
Email  
Other contact information  

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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   Jarrah frames and paneling, two flat towers of Dulciana basses either side of Diapason flat.

Casework restored 1990 by Mal Adams with fine finish and colour, carved tracery highlighted in gold. New case is about 30% smaller than the original because the space required for the tubular pneumatic action was no longer necessary. Display pipes had formerly been a dull zinc grey but have been highly polished for the new case.

Placement in room   Rear gallery

Builder's name   W L Roberts Ltd, Adelaide

Opus number   107 (one of his last organs)

Date of completion/installation   1928

Construction materials  

Number of manuals   Two (2)

Key compasses   CC-aaa

Number of keys   58

Key material   White naturals, ebony sharps

Pedal compass   CC-f

Number of pedals   30

Pedalboard type   Concave radiating

Pedalboard material   Beech

Type of chests   Slider chests

Type of key action   Electric

Type of stop action   Electric solenoids

Couplers   Swell to Great
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Great super
Swell sub
Swell super
Swell Unison off.

Tremulants   Provision for Swell tremulant

Accessories    4 General thumb pistons to Swell and Great, Gt – Ped

Console type   Integrated drawstop

Stop label material   Ivortex

Placement   Angled jambs

General design  

Playing aids  

Divisions   Great, Swell, Pedal

Wind pressures  

Stop list  
Original (1928) stoplist:

GREAT
Open Diapason 8'
Stopt Diapason 8'
Dolce 8'
Lieblich Flute 4'
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SWELL
Hohl Flute 8'
Viola da Gamba 8'
Voix Cleste 8'
Suabe Flute 4'
Oboe 8'
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PEDAL
Bourdon 16'
Subbass 16'
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Couplers:
Swell to Great Suboctave
Swell to great Unison
Swell to Great Superoctave
Swell Sub Octave
Swell Superoctave
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal



Current stoplist:

GREAT
Open Diapason 8' Metal
Stopped Diapason 8' Wood B
Dulciana 8' Metal
Principal 4' Metal
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SWELL
Gemshorn 8'
Clarabel Flute 8' Wood open, except bass 18 A
Viola da Gamba 8' Metal
Suabe Flute 4' Metal
Piccolo 2' Metal
Oboe 8' Metal
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PEDAL
Bourdon 16' Wood A
Subbass 16' Wood B
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Total number of stops   11

Total number of ranks   10

Total number of pipes   546

Dates when key work has been undertaken on current organ   Originally built in 1928 as follows, tubular pneumatic key action, mechanical stop action.
The organ cost £970, and was purchased in instalments.
Tonal alterations in 1977 by F.J. Larner & Co. Swell Dolce converted to Larigot 1 1/3'.
Electrified action in 1979 by Bellsham Pipe Organs (Australia).
Rebuilt in 1998 by F.J. Larner & Co. Larigot removed and restored as a Dulciana on the Great,
Larigot later incorporated into the organ at Yarloop Steamshed as a Gedeckt 8' rank.

Dates of any moves that have taken place to current organ  

Information on current organ  

Comparable instruments to current organ  

Assessment of organ and current status  

Other organs by this builder   William Leopold Roberts built three organs in Perth, but many others in other states of Australia.

An organ which had been attributed to him at Christ Church, Claremont, was found to have been built by another organ 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 22 January 2009.
Additional information from Graham Devenish 10 February 2009.
Additional information about the removal of the Larigot noted by Bruce Duncan in conversation with John Larner, 9 May 2009.
Additional detail from In The Pipeline August/September 2000.
Organ specification and details from Pipe Organs WA.
Photographs of church and organ by Bruce Duncan 26 May 2012 College information from the Perth College web site.
Additional photographs by Boyd Peters 12 December 2022.