| Name of institution |
St. George's Cathedral |
| Type of institution |
Church |
| Street Address |
St. George's Terrace
|
| City |
Perth |
| State |
Western Australia |
| Postcode |
6000
|
| Country |
Australia |
| Name of building |
St. George's Cathedral |
| Name of room |
Church
|
| Dates of the building |
1887 |
| Architect’s and builder’s names |
Sydney architect Edmund Blacket. |
| Special architectural features |
The earliest
church on this site was in the classical style, not unlike such
buildings as St George's Battery Point and the original St David's in
Hobart. The foundation stone of the present building, designed by
the eminent NSW architect Edmund Blacket, was laid in November 1880 and
the opening took place in 1888. The cathedral is comparable in
scale with Blacket's St Thomas' Church, North Sydney, but is
constructed in red brick with Rottnest stone dressings both internally
and externally; the roof beams are of jarrah, a local
timber. It consists of a five bay clerestoried nave, with
prominent flanking porches, lofty transepts and square–ended
sanctuary. The completion of the building was entrusted to
Blacket's son Cyril as Edmund had died in 1883. The firm had
designed a magnificent tower and broach spire for the building, but the
present crenellated tower with elevated stair turret was erected in
1902 to a reduced design by local architect Sir J.J. Talbot
Hobbs.
|
| Special fittings |
The building incorporates splendid fittings, particularly a wide range
of imported stained glass by such makers as Clayton & Bell, and
James Powell & Sons, both of London, together with local makers
such as Mathieson & Gibson, of Melbourne and Barnett Bros, of
Perth. The floors are of tessellated tiles. The wrought iron chancel
screen was added in 1906 and the carved alabaster reredos with its
elaborate statuary in 1909. The Soldiers' Memorial Chapel, built from
Donnybrook stone and brick, was constructed in 1919, while the pulpit,
font and north transept panelling were designed by George Herbert Parry. |
| Other location information |
St George's
Cathedral is the principal Anglican church in the city of Perth,
Western Australia and the mother-church of the Anglican Diocese of
Perth. It is located in St George's Terrace in the centre of the city.
Built in 1888 the cathedral replaced an earlier building immediately to
the north-east of the present one. The cathedral is described as Gothic
Revival and is made from local handmade clay bricks from Queen's
Gardens and Victorian blue stone pillars on footings of Fremantle
limestone. It was designed by Sydney architect Edmund Blacket. The site
is near to the location of the "Rush Church" - the first church built
in Perth, by Frederick Irwin, in December 1829 a few months after the
city was founded.
Its castellated bell tower was damaged in the 1968 Meckering
earthquake. In 2005-2008 the cathedral was extensively restored with
the tile roof replaced by slates as originally built. Earthquake
protection was added to two walls to provide bracing and much other
work was undertaken. Plans are currently underway to restore and
develop other buildings in the complex, including the Burt Hall and the
1859 Deanery building, which adjoins the cathedral, on the corner of
Pier Street.
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| Name of contact |
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| Mailing Address |
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| Telephone |
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| Email |
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| Other contact information |
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| . |
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| Previous organ(s) |
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| Date of previous organ |
1874-75 |
| Detail of previous organ |
Hill and Son, London
Right transept location on elevated platform. |
| Dates when key work has been undertaken |
Rebuilt and enlarged 1958/59
J.W. Walker & Sons, Ruislip, Middlesex.
Enlarged 3 manual, 57stops. |
| Dates of any moves that have taken place |
Removed 1994 by F.J. Larner & Co. |
| Variations from original design of organ |
|
|
Information on previous organ |
The surviving Hill chests and
pipework were used in a new organ for St Hilda's Anglican Girls' School
chapel, Mosman Park.
The Tuba went to St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne.
The console to St Paul's Cathedral, Bendigo. |
|
Information about comparable instruments to previous organ |
Refer to the St. George's Cathedral Walker organ page. |
| . |
|
| Present organ |
|
| Type of installation |
Gallery, Chancel, Chamber |
| Case description |
West Gallery Organ
The
west organ, sited on a new west gallery, was installed in 1993.
This has casework of Tasmanian oak, and includes a ruckpositiv
division, placed on the gallery rail. The facade pipes are of
burnished tin. The Pedal, Great and Positiv divisions are visible
in the facade; the larger pipes of the Pedal and the Swell are
placed in a separate case to the rear.
Chancel Organ
The chancel organ, placed under the tower at the south–east
junction of the building, speaking across the chancel, was built in
1993–94. The Swell occupies a brustwerk position in the
striking case front, in modern Scandinavian style.
Chamber Organ
The first of the new organs for the cathedral has pipework enclosed behind swell shutters with knee lever. |
| Placement in room |
West End Gallery
Chancel chamber
Chamber (portable) |
| Builder's name |
Knud Smenge Pty. Ltd. |
| Opus number |
|
| Date of completion/installation |
1991-93
1994
1988 |
| Construction materials |
|
| Number of manuals |
Three (3)
Two (2)
One (1) |
| Key compasses |
C - a''' |
| Number of keys |
58 |
| Key material |
|
| Pedal compass |
C - f' |
| Number of pedals |
30 |
| Pedalboard type |
|
| Pedalboard material |
|
| Type of chests |
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| Type of key action |
Mechanical with override for electric (mid) console |
| Type of stop action |
Electric |
| Couplers |
Positive-Great;
Swell-Great; Swell-Positive; Positive-Pedal; Swell-Pedal; Great-Pedal.
Optional electric coupling action for Swell-Great. Chancel
Swell-Great; Swell-Pedal; Swell 4' - Ped; Great-Ped
|
| Tremulants |
Great, Swell and Positive. Chancel Great and Swell. |
| Accessories |
West
combinations Solid State of English manufacture giving 8 pistons and
cancel on each manual and pedal: also provides 16 general pistons on
each of 40 memory levels.
Chancel combinations Solid State of English manufacture giving 5
pistons and cancel on each manual and pedal: also provides 5 general
pistons on each of 40 memory levels. |
| Console type |
1. Integral drawstop console
2. Remote electric console |
| Stop label material |
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| Placement |
|
| General design |
|
| Playing aids |
Adjustable thumb and toe pistons with 40 channels
Electric transmission to swell shutters |
| Divisions |
Great, Swell, Positive, Pedal.
Chancel Great, Swell, Pedal.
Chamber Manual. |
| Wind pressures |
Great 65m
Swell 70m
Positive 58m
Pedal 65/70m |
| Stop list |
| GREAT |
|
|
|
| Pommer |
16' |
|
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| Principal |
8' |
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| Rohrflute |
8' |
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| Octave |
4' |
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| Flute Harm. |
4' |
|
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| Octave |
2' |
|
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| Mixture |
VI–VIII |
|
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| Cymbel II |
1' |
|
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| Cornet T.C. |
III |
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| Trompet |
8' |
|
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| Clarion |
4' |
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| Tremulant |
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.
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| SWELL |
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| Bordun |
16' |
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| Gedackt |
8' |
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| Salicional |
8' |
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| Voix Celeste T.C. |
8' |
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| Principal |
4' |
|
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| Spitzflute |
4' |
|
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| Nasard |
2-2/3' |
|
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| Waldflute |
2' |
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| Terz |
1-3/5' |
|
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| Mixture |
IV |
|
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| Trompet |
16' |
|
|
| Trompet Harm. |
8' |
|
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| Oboe |
8' |
|
|
| Clarion |
4' |
|
|
| Tremulant |
|
|
|
| .
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| POSITIVE |
|
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| Gedackt |
8' |
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| Spitzgamba |
8' |
gvd. bass |
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| Principal |
4' |
|
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| Kobbelflute |
4' |
|
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| Octave |
2' |
|
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| Gemshorn |
2' |
|
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| Nasat |
1-1/3' |
|
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| Scharf |
IV |
|
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| Krumhorn |
8' |
|
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| Vox Humana |
8' |
|
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| Trompet St George |
8' |
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|
Tremulant
|
|
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|
| . |
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| PEDAL |
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| Untersatz |
32' |
|
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| Principal |
16' |
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| Subbass |
16' |
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| Octave |
8' |
|
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| Gedackt |
8' |
|
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| Choralbas |
4' |
|
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| Rauschquint V |
2 2/3' |
|
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| Contra Bombarde |
32' |
|
A |
| Bombarde |
16' |
|
A |
| Trompet |
8' |
|
|
| Zinka |
4' |
|
|
| . |
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|
|
| CHANCEL GREAT |
|
|
|
| Principal |
8' |
|
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| Rohrflute |
8' |
|
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| Salicional |
8' |
|
|
| Octave |
4' |
|
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| Flute Harmonique |
4' |
|
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| Waldflute |
2' |
|
|
| Mixture |
V |
|
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| Trompet |
8' |
|
|
| . |
|
|
|
| CHANCEL SWELL |
|
|
|
| Gedackt |
8' |
|
|
| Koppelflute |
4' |
|
|
| Principal |
2' |
|
|
| Nasat |
1-1 /3' |
|
|
| Schalmay |
8' |
|
|
| . |
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| CHANCEL PEDAL |
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| Subbas |
16' |
|
|
| Principal |
8' |
added 2007 |
|
| Gedackt |
8' |
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| Koralbas |
4' |
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| Fagot |
16' |
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|
| . |
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| CHAMBER MANUAL |
|
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| Gedackt |
8' |
|
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| Rohrflute |
4' |
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| Principal |
2' |
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| Mixture 19.22 |
II |
|
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| . |
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| Total number of stops |
West: 46
Chancel: 17
Chamber: 4
|
| Total number of ranks |
West: 65
Chancel: 22
Chamber: 5
|
| Total number of pipes |
West: 3,446 pipes
Chancel: 1,086 pipes |
| Dates when key work has been undertaken on current
organ |
The
West Organ was installed in 1993, and dedicated on Advent Sunday. It is
placed on a specially constructed gallery at the West End of the
Cathedral. Organ and Gallery together form a striking feature
complimenting the graceful architecture of the Nave and Chancel.
The Organ is the largest mechanical-action instrument to be installed
in Western Australia since the similarly sized Ronald Sharp organ in
the Perth Concert Hall was completed in 1974. The casework is made of
Tasmanian Oak, and the front pipes are of burnished tin. The organ has
4 divisions, 46 speaking stops and 3446 pipes.
In 1994 a new Chancel Organ was installed in the chamber under the Bell
Tower. Consisting of 17 stops in 3 divisions, with mechanical key and
electric stop action, this small organ is designed to accompany choirs
singing in the Chancel. Electric over-ride enables both the Chancel and
the West Organs to be played simultaneously from a third, free-standing
console.
Refinement of the organ tone was carried out in 2007-08 by the
South Island Organ Company of New Zealand. This resulted in a
lengthening of the reed resonators, and will include work on the flue ranks to improve the tone of
the organ.
In September 2010 a massive 32' organ stop was installed, enhancing the sound of
the Cathedral's West Organ. It was dedicated to 12 former Cathedral
Choristers killed in action during the First World War. A memorial plaque to the 12 West Australian soldiers, dedicated on Anzac Day
1931, currently resides in the South Transept of the Cathedral. The new 32'
contra bombarde stop will honour these 12 each time its roar is heard.
The final pièce de résistance to the Cathedral's West
Organ is the addition of a solo, horizontal fanfare trumpet voiced in
the French symphonic school - with the spun end pipes firing out of
either side of the ruckpositive case, it is truly a visual and sonic
treat. The Trompet St George 8’, the Dr Geoffrey Gates AM
Fanfare Trumpet, was installed in April and blessed on Sunday May 1
2011 in loving memory of Dr Geoffrey Gates AM, following a generous
bequest by his wife, Patricia. Geoffrey was much loved by everyone at
the Cathedral and by many people in the WA arts scene, in particular as
a supporter of the WA Ballet.
|
| Dates of any moves that have taken place to current
organ |
|
| Information on current organ |
|
| Comparable instruments to current
organ |
|
| Current status |
|
| Assessment of organ |
|
| Other organs by this builder |
|
| Photographs |
Photograph of church St George's Cathedral web site.
Photographs of organ by Bruce Duncan and from OHTA web site
Some photographs by Trevor Bunning
|
| Technical documents |
Details of the organ from OHTA Conference Book 2004.
|
| General documents |
The Organs of St. George's Cathedral
|
| . |
|
| Supporting information |
John
Beaverstock, "The Organs of St George's Cathedral, Perth", Victorian
Organ Journal, part one, June 1994, pp.6–12; part two,
December 1994, pp.28–35. |
| . |
|
| 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.
Link to The Organs of St. George's Cathedral provided by Jane Hammond 27 January 2010.
Updated specification from Patrick Elms 03 January 2011.
Additional information from St. George's Cathedral, October 2011
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