St. Peter's Anglican Church
187 Princes Highway, St Peters (Cooks River)

Brindley & Foster 1880 (2/12 mechanical)

From SOJ June/July 1981, June/July 1994

This church, built in 1839, is one of the most historic in Sydney and occupies a commanding position in the Cooks River district. In the postwar period the church suffered the effects of a declining congregation, a problem shared with many other inner-city churches, however, in recent years, with changing demographic patterns and the re-introduction of a full-time ministry, the congregation has been revived and is growing once more. The building has just been restored (partly under the sponsorship of the N.S.W. Heritage Council), although some modernisation of the interior has taken place. Designed by architect Thomas Bird, it has been described as "one of the first real attempts at archaeological Gothic in Australia". Unfortunately it was not possible to replace the copper spire which was removed in 1963 because of its dangerous and dilapidated state.

The organ, which stands in the west gallery, was built in 1880 by Brindley & Foster of Sheffield, and has tracker action throughout. It was erected by Charles Jackson. Brindley & Foster also sent organs to St John-the-Baptist Anglican Church in Mudgee (1881, 3/24) and All Saints' Anglican Cathedral, Bathurst (1886, 3/30). The Mudgee organ is virtually as it was when erected but the Bathurst organ has been rebuilt several times. The St Peter's organ awaits a sensitive restoration.

 

Its specification is:

Great Open Diapason Gamba Wald Flute Principal Harmonic Flute Grave Mixture 12.15 Swell Violin Diapason Vox Angelica Lieblich Gedact Salicet Oboe Pedal Subbass Couplers Swell to Great Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal

8 8 8 4 4 II 8 8 8 4 8 16

Mechanical action
Compass 56/29

Photos: Trevor Bunning (Dec. 2008)