St John's Uniting Church (formerly Presbyterian)
cnr Stuart and Coonanbarra Streets, Wahroonga

Pels & Son, Alkmaar, Holland 1961 (3/29 electro-pneumatic)

From SOJ February/March 1984, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2006:

The first organ in St John's was an 11 stop tracker instrument built in 1905 by George Fincham & Son. This was sold to the Hurstville Christadelphian Ecclesia where it survives today, having been restored by Pitchford and Garside in 1981.

In 1961 its replacement was supplied by Pels & Son of Alkmaar, Holland, being a large electro-pneumatic instrument of largely Classical design. It has the German "free combination" system for setting up a General piston. It is the only example of this firm's work in this country. After some 40 years of constant use, the church engaged Pitchford & Garside to renovate the organ in late 2001. The work undertaken included (a) the removal, cleaning and repair as necessary, of all the 1, 856 pipes; (b) the reburnishing and realignment of reed tongues; and (c) the cleaning and adjustment of the action and console components.


Please click here to download the opening recital program from 16 April 1961.

Photo: Brett McKern (May 2022)

 

Its specification is:

Great Open Diapason Salicional Bourdon Octave Koppelflute Octave Plein Jeu Trumpet Swell (73 notes) Salicional Voix Celeste Rohrflute Prestant Spitzflute Nasard Flageolet Tierce Oboe Positive Gedeckt Principal Blockflute Larigot Sharp Krummhorn Pedal Resultant Subbass Principal Gedackt Choralbass Posaune

8 8 8 4 4 2 III-V 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 8 8 4 2 1-1/3 III 8 32 16 8 8 4 16

12 couplers

Compass 61/30
Electro-pneumatic action

Detached stop-key console

Photos: Alan Caradus (May 2012)









Three photos above: Brett McKern (May 2022)