ST AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO CATHOLIC CHURCH, BALMAIN




© Pd L 2005

 

The earlier sandstone church to the south of the present church was designed by A.W.N. Pugin in Early English Gothic style and built in 1848-51 with extensions in 1860; it is now used as the hall.

 

The present church was opened in 1907.  It was built in brick with cement dressings in an Arts and Crafts idiom to the design of E.A. Bates.  It is prominently sited with a lofty square tower and distinctive bellcast roof, visible across the harbour.  The spacious church interior includes a nave and lofty aisles and provides a superb acoustical environment for the magnificent Hill organ located in the high west gallery. [1]

 

Originally built in 1886 as job no. 1952 for the YMCA Hall in Pitt Street, Sydney, it was moved some 20 years later to St Carthage’s Catholic Cathedral, Lismore, in northern NSW.  It was transferred to St Augustine’s in 1912 when St Carthage’s purchased a much larger organ by J.E. Dodd of Adelaide. [2]

 

Following a period of neglect, during which the pipework for the Great Wald Flute 4, Fifteenth 2 and the Choir Clarionet 8 disappeared, a restoration under the consultancy of David Kinsela was carried out in 1966.  The contract was undertaken by J.W. Walker & Sons Ltd, in conjunction with their Australian agent, Arthur Jones.  At this time, tuning slides were fitted to the metal fluework and the missing Great ranks were replaced by a Block Flute 2 and Fifteenth 2.  On the Choir a second-hand reed (an Orchestral Oboe 8) replaced the missing Clarionet 8, while a Super Octave 2 was added on a clamp. The Flauto Traverso 8 was transposed to 4’ and a new top octave supplied, while the original double-rise bellows was replaced by two smaller single-rise reservoirs, supplying wind at two pressures to the organ. 

 

In 1996 Pitchford & Garside carried out some repairs at the instigation of the church organist, Mr David Hinder.  The work also included the removal of the 1966 Block Flute 2 in order to restore a Wald Flute 4 to the organ and the non-original reed on the Choir was replaced by a Clarionet.

 

 

Live recordings can be downloaded as an mp3 file by clicking on the links below.


Vesper Voluntary in D by E Elgar (5.6MB) played by Mark Quarmby

"Commemoration March" by Scotson Clark (8MB) played by Mark Quarmby

Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes Sohn, BWV 601 by J S Bach (2.2MB) played by Michael Dudman (recorded 1982)

Hill & Son 1886 (3/21 mechanical)

 

GREAT
Open Diapason	8 Ft.
Hohl Flute	8 Ft.
Principal	4 Ft.
Wald Flute	4 Ft.	+
Twelfth	3 Ft.
Fifteenth	2 Ft.	*
Mixture	3 Rks
SWELL
Open Diapason	8 Ft.
Stopped Diapason	8 Ft.
Salicional	8 Ft.
Principal	4 Ft.
Cornopean	8 Ft.
Oboe	8 Ft.
Tremulant (by hitch-down)		¶
CHOIR
Lieblich Gedact	8 Ft.
Dulciana	8 Ft.
Flauto Traverso	4 Ft.	§
Gamba	4 Ft.
Super Octave	2 Feet	^
Clarionet	8 Ft.	#
PEDAL
Open Diapason	16 Ft.
Bourdon	16 Ft.

 

 

COUPLERS

Swell to Great

Swell to Choir

Choir to Great Sub Oct

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Choir to Pedal

 

Mechanical action throughout

 

Compass 56/30

 

 

3 composition pedals to Great

2 composition pedals to Swell

1 spare slot for extra composition pedal

 

Hitch-down swell lever

 

 

No. of pipes = 1,212

 

Pitch  a¹ = 443 Hz at 18⁰ C

 

 

Wind pressures (in 1979)  72 mm (2 ¹³/₁₆”) for Great, Pedal Bourdon 16 and Pedal Open Diapason 16 (F# - f¹);  61 mm (2 ⅜”) for Swell, Choir and C-F of Pedal Open Diapason 16

 

 

Mixture composition:

C - f#⁰ :    17.19.22

g⁰ - a#¹ :  15.19.22

b¹ - g³ :    8.12.15

 

 

 

 

+ Installed 1996 Pitchford & Garside to replace non-original Block Flute 2 of 1966

* Installed 1966 J.W. Walker & Sons to replace missing Hill pipework

¶ Added before 1966

§ Transposed 1966 from 8’ pitch with new top octave.  Bottom octave now operated by tubular-pneumatic action

^ Added on a clamp, 1966.  Stop dome in copperplate, possibly retrieved from the rebuilt 1883 Hill & Son organ at St Luke’s Concord

# Installed 1996 Pitchford & Garside to replace non-original Clarionet (actually a second-hand Orchestral Oboe 8) of 1966 [3]

 

 

© Pd L 2005