Pipe Organs in WA
 
 
 
 
 

Perth Baptist Church, Perth
The pipe organs of Western Australia



Perth Baptist

Baptist



Property
Name of institution   Perth Baptist Church
Type of institution0   Church
Street Address   10 James Street
City   Perth
State   Western Australia
Postcode   6000
Country   Australia
Name of building   Perth Baptist Church
Name of room  
Dates of the building   1973
Register of Heritage Places  
Heritage Place number  
Architect  
Builder  

Special architectural features and fittings  

Other location information   This is Western Australia's first established Baptist Church with the Foundation Service being held in the Perth Town Hall on the 23 June 1895.

May 1899 saw the opening and dedication of Central Baptist Church in Museum Street. This was not only the worship and outreach centre of Perth Church but also was used for many years by the WA Baptist Union for meetings and assemblies.

A forced land resumption by the State to make way for a Cultural Centre led to relocation of the church to its present site on the corner of James and Stirling Streets with the new church Dedication and Opening being held on the 23 June, 1973.

When passing the Alexander Library on the way to the church, stop by the entrance to the Library and there on a pillar is to be found a brass plate which marks the site of the first Baptist Church in WA. The Foundation Stone from the Museum Street site is embedded beside the Stone of the present building.

There are now 108 established Baptist churches and fellowships in suburban and country WA with this Perth church being the only Baptist Church within city precincts.

Name of contact  
Mailing Address  
Telephone  
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   Chamber

Case description   Two pedal towers of copper pipes with central flat of plain diapasons. Positive division on impost.

Placement in room   Front left of sanctuary

Builder's name   F. J. Larner and Co.

Opus number  

Date of completion/installation   1974

Construction materials   Jarrah casework

Number of manuals   Two (2)

Key compasses   CC=ggg

Number of keys   56

Key material  

Pedal compass   CC-f

Number of pedals   30

Pedalboard type   Concave radiating

Pedalboard material  

Type of chests   Slider

Type of key action   Mechanical to manuals, direct electric to Pedal

Type of stop action   Mechanical

Couplers   Kick down pedals
Positif - Great
Positif - Pedal
Great - Pedal

Tremulants   Positif

Accessories   

Console type   Integral drawstop

Stop label material  

Placement   Flat jambs

General design  

Playing aids  

Divisions   Great, Positif, Pedal

Wind pressures  

Stop list  
GREAT
Rohr Flute 8'
Principal 4'
Block Flute 2'
Sesquialtera 12,17 II
Mixture 22,26,29 III
Trumpet (Blank stop) 8'
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POSITIF
Gedackt 8'
Flöte 4'
Principal 2'
Quint 1 1/3'
Mixture 33,35 II
Dulzian 8'
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PEDAL
Subbass 16'
Principal 8'
Fagot 16'
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Total number of stops   14

Total number of ranks   20

Total number of pipes   930

Dates when key work has been undertaken on current organ   Windchest rebuilt including new pallets and tapered tone chanels. New regulators to manual divisionsand improvement to Great slider action. Pipe Orgns WA Pty Ltd 2009.

Dates of any moves that have taken place to current organ   None

Information on current organ   Opening recital played by Michael Dudman, organist of St. George's Cathedral, Perth, on Sunday 27th April 1975.

The organ cost $15,000 and was cited to be an example of the modern classical organ of the reform movement.

Comparable instruments to current organ  

Assessment of organ and current status   2018: in very good condition

Other organs by this builder   There are many organs by John Larner 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 09 January 2009.
Additional material from June/July 1999 In The Pipeline.
Photograph of the church from the Perth Baptist Church web site.
Additional material In The Pipeline June 2009.
Additional photographs Bruce Duncan 14 August 2018.