Pipe Organs in Western Australia The Organ Society of Western Australia

There have been 145 pipe organs in Western Australia, 111 of these organs remain in the state, 14 are located in other Australian states and 20 have been destroyed. The first organ to be installed in Western Australia was at Wesley Methodist Church, shown at reference 009 below (not including a barrel organ which was in Albany but of which no historical documentation has been found).

Click here to read the history of pipe organs in Western Australia

Click here to go to the indexes of organs in Western Australia

The following list is prepared in chronological order of creation and rebuild/relocation.

The forward and back references are hyperlinked so you can move from one iteration to the next by clicking the number.

Where there is no back reference the entry is the first build of the organ.

Where WA or Interstate is indicated (●), this is the currently known final entry for the organ.

The country or state for Towns which are not in Western Australia is identified in parenthesis.

The country for Organ Builders who are not in Australia are identified in parenthesis.>

If the organ has been detroyed the year of destruction is shown as Lost.

If the building is on the Register of Historical Places, the year the entry was made or status is shown as RHL.

amusement ser

Ref	Town	Building	RHL	Organ Builder	Year	Man	Rks	Stp	Pipes	WA	Inter state	Fwd Ref	Back Ref	Lost
														`
001	Eccles (England)	St. Mark's Anglican Church		Unknown (England)	1751	1	6	6				004
002	Croydon (England)	Unknown		Unknown (England)	1800	1	5	5				021
003	Unknown (England)	Unknown		Smart, G (England)	1800	1	4	4				109
004	Eccles (England)	St. Mark's Anglican Church		Unknown (England)	1813	2	13	13				197	001
005	Albany	St. John's Anglican Church		Holdich, G M (England)	1850	0	0	0						1860
006	Ballarat (VIC)	Ballarat Industrial Exhibition		Freeman, J	1860	2	11	17				034
007	East Melbourne (VIC)	Victoria Parade Congregational Church		Fincham, G, & Son	1864	1	9	9				096
008	Hobart (TAS)	Davey Street Congregational Church		Hill & Son	1864	2	12	12				029
009	Perth City	Wesley Methodist Church		Bishop & Son	1874	2	17	22	833			050
010	Perth City	St. George's Anglican Church		Hill & Son	1875	2	16	15				019
011	Fremantle	St. John's Anglican Church		Clifton, R C	1879	2	9	9	478			013
012	Fremantle	Johnston Memorial Congregational Church		Clifton, R C	1880	2	12	12				046
013	Fremantle	St. John's Anglican Church		Clifton, R C	1883	2	10	10				014	011
014	Guildford	St. Matthew's Anglican Church		Clifton, R C	1884	2	10	10	534			056	013
015	Fremantle	St. John's Anglican Church		Clifton, R C	1884	2	17	17	847			058
016	Perth City	St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church		Clifton, R C	1885	2	7	7				068
017	Yarmouth (England)	Primitive Methodist Church		Mack, W C	1887	2	15	15				305
018	Perth (Scotland)	Perth City Hall (Old Hall)		Miller, J R	1887	4	58	63				054
019	Perth City	St. George's Anglican Cathedral		Clifton, R C	1888	2	16	15				038	010
020	London (England)	Alfred Kirkland organ works		Kirkland, A (England)	1890	2	5	5				027
021	Croydon (England)	Unknown		Beales, W & Co (England)	1890	1	5	5				037	002
022	Albany	St. John The Evangelist Anglican Church		Hill & Son	1891	1	5	5				099
023	North Tonawanda (USA)	Wurlitzer Organ Works		Wurlitzer	1892	1	4	12				083
024	Perth City	Residence of Mr George Hillman		Hill & Son	1892	2	9	9	478			036
025	Perth City	Trinity Congregational Church		Norman & Beard	1892	2	21	18				081
026	Perth City	Masonic Temple		Atterton Organ Builder	1893	2	10	11				044
027	Albany	Wesley Methodist Church		Unknown	1894	2	5	5				098	020
028	York	Wesley Methodist Church		Monk, A (England)	1895	2	7	7	366			082
029	Hobart (TAS)	Davey Street Congregational Church		Fincham, G, & Son	1895	2	13	13				035	008
030	Fremantle	The Basilica of St. Patrick		Bishop & Son (England)	1895	2	21	21				154
031	Fremantle	Scots Presbyterian Church		Fuller, A	1897	2	10	10				279
032	York	Holy Trinity Anglican Church		Pease, A (England)	1898	2	15	15	758			047
033	North Perth	St. Hilda's Anglican Church		Riley, C O L	1900	1	4	4				169		1930
034	Fremantle	Wesley Methodist Church		Fincham, G, & Son	1902	2	11	17				089	006
035	Hobart (TAS)	Davey Street Congregational Church		Moore, S	1902	2	13	13				045	029
036	Perth City	Residence of Mr George Hillman		Dodd, J E	1904	2	9	9	478			043	024
037	Claremont	Congregational Hall		Unknown	1905	1	5	5				041	021
038	Perth City	St. George's Anglican Cathedral		Dodd, J E	1903	3	16	15				077	019
039	Nottingham (England)	St Annes Congregational Church		Wragg, E (England)	1905	2	10	10	534			192
040	West Perth	St. Brigid's Catholic Church		Dodd, J E	1905	2	12	12	646			140
041	Claremont	Congregational Church		Dodd, J E	1905	1	5	5				211	037
042	Balingup	Residence of Mowbray Bunbury		Fincham, G, & Son	1905	2	12	12	646			053
043	Guildford	Residence of Mr George Hillman		Clifton, R C	1905	2	9	9	478			067	036
044	Perth City	Masonic Temple		Dodd, J E	1906	2	10	11				166	026
045	Hobart (TAS)	Davey Street Congregational Church		Fincham, G, & Son	1906	2	13	13				100	035
046	Fremantle	Johnston Memorial Congregational Church		Dodd, J E	1906	2	12	12				085	012
047	York	Holy Trinity Anglican Church		Dodd, J E	1907	2	15	15	758			246	032
048	Middle Park (VIC)	Our Lady of Mount Carmal Church		Taylor, F	1907	2	25	25				084
049	Perth City	Residence of Mr Robert Cecil Clifton		Clifton, R C	1908	2	12	12				101
050	Perth City	Queens Hall		Dodd, J E	1908	2	17	22	833			072	009
051	Perth City	Wesley Methodist Church		Dodd, J E	1908	2	28	25				070
052	Perth City	St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral		Dodd, J E	1910	2	30	27				137
053	West Perth	St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church		Dodd, J E	1910	2	12	12	646			103	042
054	Perth (Scotland)	Perth City Hall (New Hall)		Miller, J R	1911	4	58	63				116	018
055	Guildford	St. Matthew's Anglican Church		Dodd, J E	1911	2	11	11	610			105
056	Claremont	St. Aidan's Presbyterian Church		Dodd, J E	1912	2	10	10	534			207	014
057	Parkside (SA)	Epworth Methodist Church		Dodd, J E	1912	2	20	22				364
058	Fremantle	St. John's Anglican Church		Dodd, J E	1913	2	17	17	847			129	015
059	Mount Gambier (SA)	Mount Gambier Methodist Church		Taylor, F	1913	2	22	23				155
060	Guildford	Chapel of SS Mary & George		Norman & Beard	1913	2	7	7				107
061	Fremantle	Princess Theatre		Wurlitzer	1915	2	6	25				203		1969
062	Perth City	Majestic Theatre		Marquette Piano Company	1917	1	2	2				108		1953
063	West Perth	Ross Memorial Presbyterian Church		Dodd, J E	1917	2	14	15	772			278
064	Welshpool	Amusement Services & Supplies		van der Becken	1920	0	3	3				200
065	New Norcia	Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity		Moser, A	1922	2	34	34				219
066	Perth City	St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church		Roberts, W L, Ltd	1924	2	19	20	1100			111
067	Mosman Park	St. Luke's Anglican Church		Dodd, J E	1924	2	9	9	478			260	043
068	Kalgoorlie	St. John the Baptist Anglican Church		Dodd, J E	1924	2	7	7				163	016
069	Northam	St. John's Anglican Church		Dodd, J E	1925	2	10	10	504			242
070	Perth City	Wesley Methodist Church		Dodd, J E	1927	3	35	61	3000			112	051
071	Perth City	Convent of the Sisters of Mercy		Roberts, W L, Ltd	1926	2	13	15				113
072	Claremont	Wesley Methodist Church	2015	Roberts, W L, Ltd	1926	2	17	15				251	050
073	Perth City	Metro Theatre		Wurlitzer	1927	2	8	35				157
074	Mullewa	Church of  Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Peter and St Paul	1995	Positive Organ Company	1927	1	5	5		●
075	Coogee (NSW)	St Brigid's Roman Catholic Church		Dodd, J E	1928	2	12	12				313
076	Mount Lawley	Perth College		Roberts, W L, Ltd	1928	2	9	11	546			216
077	Perth City	St. George's Anglican Cathedral		Dodd, J E	1928	3	16	15				123	038
078	Mount Lawley	Residence of Mr F.J. Larner		Wurlitzer	1928	2	8	20				354
079	Perth City	Ambassador's Threatre		Wurlitzer	1928	3	15	199				102
080	Claremont	Christ Church Anglican Church		Cousans, L B	1929	2	24	22				093
081	Fremantle	Johnston Memorial Congregational Church		Norman & Beard	1929	2	21	18				176	025
082	York	Wesley Methodist Church		Cousans, L B	1929	2	7	7	366			245	028
083	South Beach	Percy Wright Fairground		Wright, P	1929	0	4	12				185	023
084	Middle Park (VIC)	Our Lady of Mount Carmal Church		Taylor, F	1929	3	35	35				265	048
085	Bunbury	Congregational Church		Fowler, R	1928	2	12	13				135	046
086	Crawley	Residence of Walter Johnston & Herbert J Eales		Hufner, F	1929	2	18	21				092
087	Perth City	Central Baptist Church		Hufner, F	1929	2	5	16				115
088	Perth City	Trinity Congregational Church		William Hill & Son and Norman & Beard	1929	3	29	24				151
089	Fremantle	Wesley Methodist Church		Dodd, J E	1931	2	11	17				160	034
090	Crawley	St. George's University College Chapel		Dodd, J E, & Sons Gunstar Organ Works	1931	2	9	9	518			142
091	Sussex (England)	Plaza Theatre Worthington		Compton, John, Organ Co	1933	3	12	65				184
092	Crawley	Residence of Walter Johnston & Herbert J Eales		Dodd, J E	1933	2	18	21	1036			138	086
093	Claremont	Christ Church Anglican Church		Cousans, L B	1933	2	24	22				165	080
094	North Perth	Methodist Church		Hufner, F	1937	2	3	10				215
095	North Adelaide (SA)	Residence of Miss M Brown		Dodd, J E	1939	1	7	7				104
096	Ormond (VIC)	Christ Church Anglican Church		Andrewarthur, C W	1939	1	9	9				222	007
097	Mount Lawley	Forrest Park Methodist Church		Gunstar Organ Works	1940	2	5	16				117
098	Albany	Wesley Methodist Church		Hufner, F	1941	2	5	5				156	027
099	Albany	St. John The Evangelist Anglican Church		Hufner, F	1941	1	5	5				210	022
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
.
..
...
....
.....
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430	Geraldton	St. Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral		Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2017	3	24	27	1328			438	308
431	Perth City	First Church of Christ Scientist	2005	Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2017	3	33	38	2017	●			250
432	Mount Lawley	St. Patrick's Anglican Church		Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2017	2	21	18				436	341
433	Manning	Aquinas College	2010	Elms, Patrick & Co	2018	2	8	37		●			346
434	West Perth	Ross Memorial Uniting Church		Nowak, Tomasz	2018	2	14	15	772			450	278
435	Cannington	St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church		Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2018	2	6	18		●			177
436	Mount Lawley	St. Patrick's Anglican Church	TBA 2005	Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2018	2	21	18		●			432
437	Bindoon	St Anne's Catholic Church		Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2019	1	3	15	231	●			284
438	Geraldton	St. Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral	1995	Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2019	3	24	28	1328	●			430
439	Woodvale	Private Residence		Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2019	2	6	6	307	●			244
440	Fremantle	Scots Presbyterian Church	1999	Elms, Patrick & Co	2020	2	10	10		●			279
441	Park Ridge (QLD)	St Philomena Catholic School		Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2020	1	3	4			●		350
442	Perth City	Western Australian Museum	2001	Western Australian Museum	2021	0	4	12		●			292
443	Bunbury	St. Augustine's Uniting Church		Elms, Patrick & Co	2021	2	15	25	906	●			418
444	Clackline	Storage of Mr Bruce Duncan		Duncan, B	2021	2	18	21	1036	●			391
445	Perth City	Trinity College Chapel		Elms, Patrick & Co	2021	2	31	23		●			252
446	Guildford	Residence of Mr Raphael Elvish		Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd	2021	2	6	15		●			420
447	Clackline	Storage of Mr Bruce Duncan		Duncan, B	2022	1	2	7		●			136
448	Albany	Free Reformed Church		Elms, Patrick & Co	2022	2	22	20	1095	●			283
449	Claremont	Residence of Mr Jangoo Chapkhana		Klop Early Keyboard Instruments	2022	2	3	4	174	●
450	West Perth	Ross Memorial Uniting Church	2009	Elms, Patrick & Co	2022	2	14	15	772	●			434
451	Chittering	Divine Mercy Church		Awaiting rebuild	2022	2	29	36	1741	●			422
452	Crawley	University of Western Australia Winthrop Hall	1996	South Island Organ Company	2023	3	54	56	3000	●			375
453	Como	Cygnet Theatre	1995	Awaiting rebuild	2024	3	21	65		●			262

Brief history

Western Australia has an eclectic and colourful collection of pipe organs, as described in this excerpt from Robert Elms and Bruce Duncan.


It was nearly 50 years after the first settlement of the State that the first pipe organ was installed in a church. In 1875 two were built in quick succession, a Bishop and Son instrument of two manuals and pedal with 15 speaking stops and an organ of two manuals and pedals and 15 speaking stops by Hill and Son.

The next four organs to be installed were built in Western Australia by Robert Cecil Clifton, a clerk in the Lands Department of the colony with a passion for building pipe organs.

In the period from 1890 to 1900 several organs were imported from the United Kingdom. These organs by Hill, Monk, Atterton, Bishop, Kirkland and others were mainly small English-style instruments, with two larger instruments, a Bishop and Son and a fine Norman and Beard, being the exception. The only contribution from an Australian builder during this period, apart from Clifton's opus V, was from the Melbourne builder, Alfred Fuller.

During the period from 1900 to 1923 quite a few organs came from the Adelaide builder J.E. Dodd. Most of these consisted of two manuals and pedal with less than a dozen stops. Two well-endowed two manual instruments of about 30 stops were sister organs and notable exceptions. Later, in the 1920s, some good quality instruments came from another Adelaide builder, Roberts Ltd. Early in the century a small organ was imported from George Fincham in Melbourne. English, American and German organs were also imported in the 1920s and a Whitehouse Brothers organ came from Brisbane. There was only one known local organ builder during the 50 year period from 1908 to the 1950s.

The firm of J.E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works, based in Adelaide, carried out much work in Western Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. This firm built some new organs and rebuilt a number of others.

The local builder Paul Hufner commenced operations in 1951. Through his work pipe organs were installed in many churches which would have put in electronic instruments had it not been for his efforts in promoting the effective small pipe organs he built at a very low price. Hufner built more than 30 instruments, which were mostly small, of one or two manuals, with one to four extended ranks. A few were larger: of five or six extended ranks. Paul Hufner completed his largest, and final, organ in 1990, a three-manual instrument of 57 speaking stops.

F.J. Larner commenced work as an apprentice in the Hufner firm in the late 1950s, and later branched out on his own. Larner's first instruments were also extension instruments with electric action along the lines of those built by Paul Hufner. However, these were the years of the neo-classical reform movement, and Larner became interested in building classical organs with mechanical action. In all Paul Hufner and John Larner have between them, or together, built or rebuilt more than half of all the organs presently in Western Australian churches, more than 50 instruments: a remarkable achievement in a little over 30 years.

An organ by J W Walker & Sons was built for Winthrop Hall at the University of Western Australia in 1965, the largest instrument to be installed in Perth for 50 years and not surpassed for another ten years.

Geoffrey Revell, trading as Bellsham Pipe Organs, moved to Western Australia in 1975 from Melbourne. Bellshams have contributed a significant number of new instruments, mostly of two widely divergent types. First, there have been some very small chamber organs of one or two manuals, with pedals, and with five to 12 classically voiced ranks and a light mechanical action. Second, there are some of the largest organs in the State: these are well appointed three-manual instruments. Bellsham's largest work of four-manuals has electric action to slider soundboards and is the largest organ in Western Australia and one of the largest in the Commonwealth.

In 1976 Ronald Sharp built the large neo-baroque organ for the Perth Concert Hall, eclipsing the Winthrop Hall organ in size and providing a very different forum of musical style and expression.

South Island Organ Company Ltd of New Zealand rebuilt the large Bellsham organ in 1998 and it now consists of eight divisions, including a two manual transept organ. The completed organ is arguably the largest church organ in Australia and one of the biggest organs in the Southern Hemisphere. The two organs can be played from either a two manual console in the transept, or a four manual console in the gallery. South Island Organ Company Ltd has also rebuilt or reworked several other of Perth’s large organs over the following decade.

A history of West Australian organ builders would not be complete without mention of the work of University of Western Australia mechanical engineering lecturer, Lynn Kirkham, who has built one organ on the lines of the Dutch 17th century school, and another of French classical design. Lynn has been pivotal in the restructuring of other notable instruments in Perth.

Victorian Knud Smenge built three organs in the 1990s for a cathedral in Perth. Orgues Létourneau Limtée in Canada built two organs and a large German-built von Beckerath organ was installed in the first years of the new millenium.

In the most recent iteration of pipe organ builders in Western Australia are two separate firms: Pipe Organs of WA and Patrick Elms & Co. Between them, the organs in the state are well maintained and many have been enhanced by their efforts. Pipe Organs of WA have constructed several new instruments and undertaken significant reconstructions of older organs. Patrick Elms works with South Island Organ Company and has been involved in several of their significant restructuring projects as well as relocating and rebuilding other organs in his own right.

Click on the selections below for an index that suits you to find out more about the organs of Western Australia.

Organ indexes