St Matthew's West Pennant Hills

From SOJ March 1973:

The inaugural recital on a new organ in St Matthew's Church was given on Friday 16th February, 1973. The organ was built by Douglas Lack with the assistance of other interested church members, the specification being drawn up by Graeme Rawson. The project grew out of the purchase of:

(1) A second-hand Everett Orgatron (an early form of electronic organ) to do temporary duty in the old church hall. Although the sound generating mechanism was obsolete and incapable of further repair, it had a console of high standard which was incorporated into the new instrument.

(2) The old organ in St Paul's Church, Kogarah. Although infested with woodworm and having had poor quality additions in the 1930's this organ still contained four excellent ranks of century-old pipes now used as the basis for this instrument.

Great
Principal
Gedact
Octave
Flute
Nasard
Superoctave
Mixture 19.22
Dulzian

Positive
Diapason
Gedact
Salicional
Principal
Flute
Fifteenth
Larigot
Superoctave
Piccolo
Dulzian
Clarion

Pedal
Subbass
Subbass
Principal
Flute
Quint
Octave
Mixture 19.22
Dulzian
Dulzian
Clarion
Super-Clarion

8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
II
16

8
8
8
4
4
2
1-1/3
1
1/2
8
4

32
16
8
8
5-1/3
4
II
16
8
4
2

A
B
A
B
B
A
A
D

C
B
E
C
B
C
C
C
C
D
D

B
B
A
B
B
A
C
D
D
D
D

Accessories
Positive to Great Coupler
Tremulant
Crescendo Pedal

Compass 61/32

Ranks

A - Principal (metal) (f) Old 8' Diapason (54 pipes) + 32 extensions

B - Gedact - Subbass (wood (mf) Old 8' Stopped Diapason (66 pipes) + 28 extensions, including new 32' pipes to GGG

C - Diapason (metal) (mf) Old 4' Principal ( 54 plpes) + 27 extensions

D - Dulzian (metal) (mf) New rank of 73 pipes

E - Salicional (metal) (p) Old 8' Dulciana (54 pipes) + 8 extensions

Console
Everett Orgatron (A.G.O. specification) completely rebuilt. Two manuals (61 notes) and Pedals (32 notes). Stop tabs. Crescendo pedal and indicator.

Action

(1) Direct electric: 430 solenoid pallet valves fabricated by the builder. 3 Solenoids (1-3/4" pallets) for each 32' pipe.
(2) Moving multi-contact switches have been eliminated in the design by use of transistor swltching (1500 translstors used).
(3) One contact per note - maximum key current 150 MA on full organ at 5 volts. Magnetically switched encapsuled reed switches for pedal contacts.
(4) Power supply: single phase 35 amp smoothed 24 volt DC supply.
(5) Blower: 3/4 HP housed in organ chamber lmmediateiy behind front grill - 2 reservoirs.
(6) All switching and control circuits on one 4' x 3' matrix board in rear of console.

Photos: MQ (June 2007)