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St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Subiaco
The pipe organs of Western Australia



St Andrew's Subiaco
St Andrew's interior showing the Hufner organ
Photo: Max Armstrong

St Andrew's Subiaco
The rose window
Photo: Max Armstrong

St Andrew's Subiaco
St Andrew's interior showing the Létourneu organ


St Andrew's Subiaco

St Andrew's Subiaco

St Andrew's Subiaco

St Andrew's Subiaco
The new west wall windows
Photo: Max Armstrong

St Andrew's Subiaco
Photo: Trevor Bunning

St Andrew's Subiaco
Photo: Bruce Duncan



Property
Name of institution   St. Andrew's Anglican Church
Type of institution0   Church
Street Address   257 Barker Road
City   Subiaco
State   Western Australia
Postcode   6008
Country   Australia
Name of building   St. Andrew's Anglican Church
Name of room   Church sanctuary
Dates of the building   1929 and 1981
Register of Heritage Places   Current 22 Mar 2013
Heritage Place number   02437
Architect   Austin Bastow
Herbert Parry
Hobbs, Winning and Leighton
Duncan, Stephen and Mercer

Builder   R.J. Davies

Special architectural features and fittings   St Andrew’s Church was constructed in the Federation Gothic style and displays elements of that style in its:
• Use of contrasting materials including rock-faced stone foundations, English-bond face brick-walls, and rendered detailing to the window surrounds, gable ends, string courses, plinth caps and buttress caps.
Note: the inter-war additions replicated this detailing, but the mid-late twentieth century additions are distinguished by the use of simple stretcher bond face brickwork (with no rendered or stone detailing).
• Pointed arches to the windows, with two-centred arches to the side windows
Note: the original rose window and tracery to the west end has been removed and replaced by a brick-infill panel and three slender arched windows.
• Prominent parapeted gables.
• Steeply pitched roof (clad with variegated clay tiles in the mid-twentieth century, removing the original dormer vents)

The key element of the Federation Gothic style that was omitted by the failure to complete the original design, was the landmark tower intended for the north-west corner. The building (as built in 1906 and extended in 1929) was a much more modest expression of the Federation Gothic style. Subsequent alterations and additions (such as the replacement of the west windows and the complementary but contrasting east additions) have further compromised the authenticity of the original design.

Other location information   The first Anglican Church in Subiaco was constructed in Hay Street in 1897. By 1906 the growth of Subiaco had provided the impetus for the construction of a larger and more centrally located Anglican church. The new church was designed by the architect, Austin Bastow, in the Federation Gothic style and was planned to be built in stages - with the most elaborate elements, the north-western entry tower and a transept at the eastern end being omitted from the original construction phase.

Austin Bastow was an American born architect, with strong links to the Subiaco community. He had settled in Subiaco by the late nineteenth century and became active in local politics, serving as Mayor in 1899-1902 and 1905-1906. In the early twentieth century (before relocating in 1907) Bastow was very active as a Perth architect and in later years listed the design of St Andrew’s as one of his major works.

The church was finally extended in 1929, but the designs by architect, Herbert Parry, were much more modest than the original intent, featuring a gabled porch rather than the landmark tower at the north-west corner. Together with a new chancel and vestries at the eastern end, these works were carefully detailed and built in brick and stone to blend seamlessly with the original.

In 1952-1953 new additions were designed by Hobbs, Winning and Leighton, architects, and constructed by R.J. Davies, builder - replacing and extending weatherboard rooms at the eastern end of the church.

In c.1981, Duncan, Stephen and Mercer, Architects, were contracted to undertake further alterations and additions. These works included the relocation of the south-east entry porch to the south-west door, but primarily related to significant internal alterations, impacting on the configuration of the church. Since 2000, the rose window at the west end has been replaced with three slender pointed windows, and the interior has been further reconfigured.

Name of contact  
Mailing Address   PO Box 320, Subiaco, WA, 6904
Telephone   9381 1130
Email   Church office
Other contact information  

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Previous organ(s)
Date of previous organ   1954

Detail of previous organ   Built by Paul F. Hufner as a two manual and pedal organ of three extended ranks, electro-magnetic action. Compass: 61/30

Located in a high chamber right front chancel. The organ was totally enclosed in a swell box.

This organ was Paul Hufner's Opus I.
GREAT
Bourdon 16' A
Open Diapason 8' B
Lieblich Gedeckt 8' A
Gamba 8' C
Octave Diapason 4' B
Lieblich Flute 4' A
Fifteenth 2' B
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SWELL
Open Diapason 8' B
Lieblich Gedeckt 8' A
Gamba 8' C
Lieblich Flute 4' A
Gamba 4' C
Nazard 2 2/3' A
Piccolo 2' A
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PEDAL
Bourdon 16' A
Open Diapason 8' B
Lieblich Gedeckt 8' A
Gamba 8' C
Octave 4' B
Lieblich Flute 4' A
Gamba 4' C
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Dates when key work has been undertaken   New bellows, stop switches and metal Diapason bass were installed by F J Larner & Co, 1993-1995

Dates of any moves that have taken place   Removed 2006 in preparation for new pipe organ.
The organ was broken up.

Variations from original design of organ  

Information on previous organ   The metal Diapasons came from Roders in Leeds, England.
Wooden pipes made by P Hufner, including the 12 note bass of the 8' Diapason made from Donnybrook Jarrah.
The three ranks of pipes were an Open Diapason 8' (85 pipes), Lieblich Flute 16ft' (97 pipes) and Gamba 8' (73 pipes)

Information about comparable instruments to previous organ   There are many organs by Paul Hufmer in Western Australia. Please refer to Western Australian Organs Builders Index

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Present organ
Type of installation   Freestanding

Case description   Made from quartersawn white oak, displaying the pipes of the Great 8' Open Diapason.

Placement in room   Rear centre on floor. The church was reoriented with the altar placed at a new western setting when the organ was installed. The organ is sited in the original apse of the church.

Builder's name   Orgues Létourneau Limitée of Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada.

Opus number   108

Date of completion/installation   October 2006

Construction materials   Predominantly white oak

Number of manuals   Two (2)

Key compasses   CC-aaa

Number of keys   58

Key material  

Pedal compass   CC-g

Number of pedals   32

Pedalboard type   Radiating concave

Pedalboard material  

Type of chests   Slider

Type of key action   Mechanical

Type of stop action   Mechanical

Couplers   Swell - Great
Swell - Great Suboctave
Swell - Pedal
Great - Pedal

Tremulants   Swell and Great

Accessories   

Console type   Integrated drawstop

Stop label material  

Placement   Flat jambs

General design  

Playing aids   Balanced Swell expression pedal

Divisions   Great, Swell, Pedal

Wind pressures  

Stop list  
GREAT
Open Diapason 8' 70% tin, open 58 pipes
Chimney Flute 8' 30% tin 58 pipes
Principal 4' 70% tin, open 58 pipes
Fifteenth / Mixture III-IV 2' 70% tin, open 220 pipes
This is a combination stop. Half-draw givesthe Fifteenth, and full draw gives the mixture (15-19-22).
Trumpet 8' 56% tin 58 pipes
Tremulant
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SWELL
Salicional 8' 70% tin 58 pipes
Stopped Diapason 8' stopped wood 58 pipes
Spire Flute 4' 30% tin 58 pipes
Flageolet 2' 30% tin 58 pipes
Cornet II 12-17 2 2/3' 30% tin 116 pipes
Bassoon-Oboe 8' 56% tin 58 pipes
Tremulant
.
PEDAL
Subbass 16' stopped wood 32 pipes
Octave Bass 8' stopped wood 12 pipes extension of 16' Subbass
.
Total number of stops   14

Total number of ranks   16

Total number of pipes   902

Dates when key work has been undertaken on current organ  

Dates of any moves that have taken place to current organ  

Information on current organ   The organ intended for this church (Opus 103) was destroyed by fire in the Létourneau factory on 14 November 2006. It was built a second time as Opus 108 and delivered in remarkable time.

Comparable instruments to current organ  

Assessment of organ and current status   In fine condition and constant use

Other organs by this builder   There is one other organ by Orgues Létourneau Limitée in Western Australia, a private residence organ installed in Perth in 2011.
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Document control Original entries J R Elms, OAM, Gazetteer of Western Australian Pipe Organs, 1971, 1999, 2003 and 2004.
Additional research 2005/2006 by Bruce Duncan.
This entry D B Duncan 24 Nov 2008.
Additional detail about Hufner organ from In The Pipeline April/May 2001.
New photo of the organ 23 Oct 2021 by Bruce Duncan.
Original specification of the organ provided by Orgues Létourneau Limitée.
In The Pipeline article "A New Létourneau for Perth"
Historical photographs and photo of church interior from
St. Andrew's Church web site by Max Armstrong.
Photographs of new organ by Bruce Duncan
Additional information from Orgues Létourneau Limitée web site.
History and renovation details from St Andrew's Church web site. Also on Facebook
Information from Heritage Council of Western Australia