St Patrick's Church HIll

From SOJ Summer 2003-4, Autumn 2004:

The history of St Patrick's Catholic Church began in 1839 when Sydney Catholics tried to obtain a government grant of land for a church at the top of Church Hill (where the present St Philip's now stands). This was refused but a grant of money was made and land was given by a benefactor, William Davis, from property he owned adjacent to what is now Lang Park. The foundation stone was laid in 1840 by (then) Bishop Poling and the large crowd was astonished when the now elderly W'llliam Davis came forward and placed a cheque for £1,000 on the stone, for those days, an incredible sum and matched only by the grant from the Colonial Secretary. In 1844 Poling, now an archbishop, performed the opening and consecration of the new building which had been designed by architect John Frederick Hilly. Unfortunately, William Davis did not see his vision realized, having died during the previous year.

The new organ is the third to be installed in St Patrick's Church, the first being a Gray and Davison of 1848 and the second a larger instrument by Charles Anneessens of 1895. This was rebuilt in the 1970s but was not a great success and was broken up.

The fabric of St Patrick's Church was restored over the last decade and the new Ruffatti organ is the final stage in this splendid project.

The specification is as follows:

Ruffatti 2004 - 2/22 mechanical

Great
Open Diapason
Open Flute
Octave
Fifteenth
Mixture
Cornet
Trumpet

Swell
Stopped Diapason
Viola da Gamba
Voix Celeste
Principal
Venetian Flute
Nazard
Piccolo
Plein Jeu
Oboe
Trompette
Tremulant

Pedal
Open Wood
Bourdon
Principal
Octave
Trombone

Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Great

8
8
4
2
IV
V
8

8
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
III
8
8

16
16
8
4
16

3 photos above: Trevor Bunning (February 2017)