Christchurch St Laurence

Sources: SOJ February/March 1986, Winter 2003, Winter 2006, personal comment P Jewkes September 2009.

Christ Church has been the centre for Anglo-Catholic worship in Sydney and maintains a high musical standard. The building was consecrated in 1845 and is dominated by a tall copper spire designed by Edmund Blacket in 1856.

The first organ was destroyed by fire in 1905 before the current organ was purchased from the residence of R A Andrews of Leichhardt for £1,000. It had spent the first 15 years of its life in the concert room of Mr Andrew's Leichhardt residence "Frog Hollow". For seven years it stood at floor level in the position now occupied bay the St Laurence Chapel (where its predecessor had also stood, prior to the disastrous fire which destroyed the interior of the church's East end). In 1912 it was raised to its present rather unusual location on a high platform at the right hand side of the chancel by Charles Richardson, who also added a concave and radiating pedalboard. Slight modifications were made to timberwork in the façade, to accommodate the casework under the chancel ceiling. A new Swell bellows was also installed, to permit the addition of a Tremulant for this division. The organ was overhauled in 1966 by ST Noad and Son when tuning slides were fitted, the Swell Celeste replaced by a Piccolo and the pedalboard re-faced. In 1979-80 Orgues Létourneau Ltée of Québec carried out a renovation and enlargement, adding a second hand Trombone 16 ft and Fifteenth 4ft to the Pedal using electric action.

In 1994 the 2 Pedal windchests were restored by Peter D G Jewkes Pty Ltd, with the external power motors returned to their original traditional design. At this time the firm also installed a new Pedal Trombone, with new windchests, the pipes themselves being donated by Orgues Létourneau. A new windchest for the Pedal Fifteenth was also made by the Jewkes firm, and this stop was relocated to its present position, level with the manual pipework. In 2005, work was done on the organ gallery to provide better access and more room around the console and in 2006 the Jewkes firm took the organ apart for a thorough cleaning. The Choir Clarionet was also fitted with new reed tongues revoiced to restore the original Hill tonal qualities.

Hill & Son 1891 (3/26 mechanical and tubular-pneumatic)

Great
Open Diapason
Violon Diapason
Hohl Flute
Principal
Harmonic Flute
Mixture
Trumpet

Swell
Bourdon
Open Diapason
Rohr Flute
Salicional
Principal
Piccolo+
Mixture
Horn
Oboe
Tremulant^

Choir
Gamba
Dulciana
Lieblich Gedeckt
Wald Flute
Clarionet

Pedal
Open Diapason
Bourdon
Violoncello
Fifteenth*
Trombone*

Couplers
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
Swell to Great
Swell to Choir

8
8
8
4
4
III
8

16
8
8
8
4
2
III
8
8

8
8
8
4
8

16
16
8
4
16

3 pistons to Swell
3 pistons to Great
Great to Pedal toe lever
Mechanical action to manuals
Tubular-pneumatic action to stops and pedals
Electro-pneumatic action to pedal additions
Compass 56/30

+ replaced original Voix Celeste 1966
* 1979-80/1994
^ originally added by Richardson, replaced by Létourneau