Uniting Church (formerly Congregational)
134 Burwood Road, Burwood

Gray & Davison 1887, 2m., 21 sp. st., mechanical and tubular-pneumatic









From SOJ June/July 1992, October/November 1992, February/March 1993

This church, located on busy Burwood Road, just north of the Railway line, originally possessed a two manual organ with mechanical action, built by J.W. Walker & Sons of London in 1880. It was removed and broken up in 1958 when it was replaced by a Wurlitzer organ (Style H) from the Savoy Theatre, Hurstville. [Some of the pipework has been incorporated in a house organ built by Ron Clark for his Kuluin residence in Queensland.] This instrument was built in the 1930s and comprised two manuals and 10 ranks.

When the former Methodist church in Burwood closed in the early 1970s, it was eventually proposed that that organ (a large three manual Hunter) be installed in the, now, Uniting Church. Non-professional labour was engaged to phsyically move the Hunter organ "down the road". The end result was the almost total destruction of the instrument. What was salvageable went to the Wesley Uniting Church in Canberra. The Great Posaune from this Hunter organ went to St Paul's Anglican Church, Manuka (ACT) and has since been discarded.



On Sunday, 30 August 1992, a service of dedication was held to mark the installation or a large two manual and pedal organ built originally by Gray & Davison in 1887. This instrument came from Criccieth in Wales and was totally restored by Pitchford & Garside priot to its installation. The opening recital on 25th October, 1992 was given by Mark Quarmby with the choir of Newington College providing choral items.


© PdL 2006


The specification is:

Great
Open Diapason
Clarabella
Dulciana
Principal
Wald Flute
Fifteenth
Mixture 12.19.22
Trumpet

Swell
Lieblich Bourdon
Open Diapason
Rohr Flôte (sic)
Gamba
Voix Celeste
Gemshorn
Piccolo
Mixture 15.19.22
Cornopean
Oboe
Vox Humana
Tremulant

Pedal
Open Diapason
Bourdon

8
8
8
4
4
2
III
8


16
8
8
8
8
4
2
III
8
8
8



16
16


Couplers
Swell to Great
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal (two drawstops - one on left and one on right jamb)

Mechanical action to manuals
Tubular-pneumatic action to pedals

3 composition pedals for Great and Swell
Balanced Swell pedal
Drawstop marked BLOWER retained but disconnected
Brass telltale

Compass 56/30

Total number of pipes = 1,336















Jonathan Chan playing the 2010 OHTA Conference recital




Photos: Trevor Bunning April 2010