St Augustine's Anglican Church
89 Wycombe Road, Neutral Bay

Hill, Norman & Beard 1929, renovated by Walkers 1981 (2/14 tubular-pneumatic)

Photo: Alan Caradus (Feb 2013)

From SOJ June/July 1982, December1993/January 1994:

This church has an organ built in 1929 by Hill, Norman & Beard to specifications drawn up by George Faunce-Allman. In 1981 extensive repairs and tonal alterations were carried out by Walkers, retaining the original tubular pneumatic action. The instrument is very solidly constructed and has a very handsome case. The organ still features its original 73 note swell chest with all of the current ranks provided with additional notes except for the Piccolo. The action of the organ and all of the coupling is tubular-pneumatic (except for the Swell to Pedal and Great to Pedal which are mechanical), the compass is 61/30, the organ features a balanced swell pedal.


Peter Jewkes adds (10/10/08): "The leather motors of the triple-stage exhaust pneumatic action were all re-covered, the organ was cleaned, and those two tonal changes were made as detailed by Walkers in 1981. Everything else (soundboards, bellows, console etc) was as it had always been. We releathered both bellows in 1996.

"The Closed Horn is in fact harmonic (double length resonators) from middle C up (hence its wonderful sound almost like a distant Tuba)."


This organ has been digitally sampled by Nicholas Appleton and his project can be found by clicking here.

For musical demonstrations please click on the links below:

All pieces by Theodore Dubois: Prelude, Marcietta, and Cantilene Religieuse.

The original specification (Rushworth) was as follows:

GREAT Open Diapason Claribel Flute Dulciana Principal Suabe Flute SWELL Violin Diapason Lieblich Gedeckt Echo Gamba Voix Celeste Octave Closed Horn Orchestral Oboe Octave Sub Octave Tremulant PEDAL Bourdon Violon-Cello COUPLERS Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell Octave to Great Swell to Great Swell Sub Octave to Great

8 8 8 4 4 8 8 8 8 4 8 8 16 8

The current specification is:

Great Open Diapason Claribel Flute Dulciana Principal Fifteenth Swell Violin Diapason Lieblich Gedeckt Echo Gamba Octave Piccolo Orchestral Oboe Closed Horn Octave Sub Octave Tremulant Pedal Bourdon Violon-Cello Couplers Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell Octave to Great Swell to Great Swell Sub Octave to Great

8 8 8 4 2 8 8 8 4 2 8 8 16 8

Compass 61/30
Tubular-pneumatic action


Note: A Suabe Flute 4' on the Great was removed for the Fifteeth. A Voix Celeste 8' was removed from the Swell, being replaced by most of the Suabe Flute transposed to form the Piccolo 2'.

Photos: Nick Appleton (Sept 2008)