Pipe Organs in WA
 
 
 
 
 

St. Hilda's Anglican Church, North Perth
The pipe organs of Western Australia



St Hilda North Perth

St Hilda North Perth

St Hilda North Perth
St Hilda's Memorial garden

St Hilda North Perth

St Hilda North Perth
Photos: John van den Berg

St Hilda North Perth

St Hilda North Perth
Photos: Raphael Elvish

Property
Name of institution   St. Hilda's Anglican Church
Type of institution0   Church
Street Address   15 View Street
City   North Perth
State   Western Australia
Postcode   6006
Country   Australia
Name of building   St. Hilda's Anglican Church
Name of room   Church sanctuary
Dates of the building   1915
Register of Heritage Places   To be assessed 30/07/2004
Heritage Place number   02217
Architect  
Builder  

Special architectural features and fittings   St Hilda's church is a robustly designed parish church with a gable front to View Street and a hipped southern end following the line of the semi octagonal sanctuary, buttressed walls and entrance porch in brick and stone. The porch has stone quoins, a shallow pointed arch entrance and a simple triangular pediment, featuring a cross decoration in the stucco. The porch extends to the footpath. The stonework continues as a wide band around the building. The windows also feature stone surrounds. The church has internal aisles for the length of the nave, which terminate before the sanctuary. The end wall of the sanctuary is solid with an inset stone cross and foundation stone, while the other walls have lancet windows with stained glass in lead lights.

Other location information   In about 1900, the first Anglican Sunday School and service for the parish known as All Saints Woodville were held at the home of Mrs Hahn on the corner of Olive and View Street. A wooden building transported form Canning Mills, and erected on the corner of Rose (Glebe street) and View Street in 1904, was consecrated as St Hilda’s North Perth. A church building fund was implemented in 1910.

In 1914, Rev CL Riley, son of archbishop Riley, was appointed rector of St Hilda’s. He lived with his parents at Bishops House, traveling to his parish by motor bike. The foundation stone for St Hilda’s church was laid on 24th July 1915, by William T Loton, MLA and the church was consecrated on 10th October that year by Archbishop Riley. The rectory was also completed in 1915 and Rev Riley moved in.

In 1954, St Hilda’s Church was completed with the addition of the entrance porch, chancery, sanctuary, choir and vestries. The additions were consecrated on 12th December 1954 by Archbishop Moline. In 1974, the site of the original weatherboard church and the land occupied by the tennis courts were sold. A house was purchased on Coolbidin for use as a rectory and the original rectory was demolished. A parish centre was built on site. St Hilda’s boasts the oldest font in Australia. It is Anglo Saxon workmanship and dates from the 9th or 10th century. It was transferred to St Hilda’s when St john’s Anglican Church in Milligan Street was demolished in 1928.

Name of contact  
Mailing Address  
Telephone  
Email  
Other contact information  

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Previous organ(s)
Date of previous organ   Date unknown

Detail of previous organ   Built by The Rt. Revd. C L Riley.
1m., 4 sp.st., tr. Man: 8.8.4.2.

Dates when key work has been undertaken   Removed c1930.
Some pipework was used in the organ at Uniting Church, Morley.
Dates of any moves that have taken place  

Variations from original design of organ  

Information on previous organ   The Most Reverend Charles Owen Leaver Riley was the third Bishop of Perth (1895 - 1914) and the first Archbishop of Perth (1914 - 1929). He was also Chaplain General of the Australian Military Forces (1914-1918).

He was the father of The Rt. Revd. C L (Tom) Riley, Rector of St. Hilda's Church.

Information about comparable instruments to previous organ  

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Present organ
Type of installation   Freestanding

Case description   Wood screen at the front with bass pipes on the sides

Placement in room   Front left of sanctuary

Builder's name   D.G. Miller

Opus number  

Date of completion/installation   1970/71

Construction materials  

Number of manuals   Two (2)

Key compasses  

Number of keys  

Key material  

Pedal compass  

Number of pedals  

Pedalboard type  

Pedalboard material  

Type of chests  

Type of key action   Mechanical

Type of stop action   Mechanical

Couplers   Swell Octaves
Swell - Great
Swell - Pedal
Great - Pedal

Tremulants   None

Accessories    None

Console type   Integrated drawstop

Stop label material  

Placement   Angled jambs

General design  

Playing aids  

Divisions   Great, Swell, Pedal

Wind pressures  

Stop list  
GREAT
Rohr Flute 8'
Principal 4'
Principal 2'
Swell to Great
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SWELL
Gedackt 8'
Viola 8'
Flute 4'
Swell Octaves
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PEDAL
Bourdon 16'
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
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Total number of stops   7

Total number of ranks   7

Total number of pipes  

Dates when key work has been undertaken on current organ  

Dates of any moves that have taken place to current organ   Built in 1970/71 for the Miller residence, Mount Claremont.

Installed in 1987 at the Forum Uniting Church, Floreat Park by F.J. Larner & Co.

Installed at St Hilda's Church in 1995.

Information on current organ  

Comparable instruments to current organ  

Assessment of organ and current status  

Other organs by this builder   Although Doug Miller was involved in the building of many organs in Perth, this is the only organ he constructed himself.

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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 January 2009.
Detail about The Rt. Revd. C L Riley provided by Fr Ted Doncaster, past Archivist for the Perth Anglican Diocese, 04 May 2009.
Historical information from Town of Vincent
Information from Heritage Council of Western Australia
Photographs of the organ from John van den Berg 12 February 2024.
Photographs of the organ pipework and stop jambs from Raphael Elvish 15 February 2024.