St Stephen's Uniting Church
197 Macquarie Street

Hill, Norman & Beard 1933 (3/44 electric with several prepared for stops)



Photo: Mark Quarmby

Click here for the church's website www.ssms.org.au

The present St Stephen's Church, formerly Presbyterian, was opened in 1935 and replaced an earlier building in Phillip Street and an even earlier prefabricated "Iron Church" in Macquarie Street near the present site. The organ was built by Hill, Norman & Beard in 1933, replacing a 1879 two manual Henry Willis & Sons organ from the previous church which was moved by Hill, Norman & Beard in 1934 to Armidale Uniting (Methodist) Church. The Philip Street church was opened in 1857 in neo-Romantic style; the building was completed in 1866 and the tower and spire were added in 1875. The interior of the church was spacious with a gallery on three sides. There is no record of an organ present before the Willis which was located in the west gallery. The case was in Scottish ecclesiastical style with three towers and flats of display pipes arranged 3 - 12 - 3 - 12 - 3. The specification is as follows:

Henry Willis 1879 (2/15 mechanical)

GREAT
Open Diapason	8
Claribel Flute	8
Dulciana	8
Principal	4
Flûte harmonique	4
Fifteenth	2
Clarionet	8
SWELL
Diapason	8
Lieblich Gedact	8
Salicional	8
Vox Angelica	8
Gemshorn	4
Cornopean	8
Tremulant
PEDALS
Open Diapason	16
Bourdon	16

COUPLERS
Swell to Great
Great to Pedals
Swell to Pedals

Mechanical action throughout

Compass 56/30

Hill, Norman & Beard 1933

The present instrument was opened on 23rd March, 1933, one year after the opening of the new church. Its specification had been drawn up with the consultation of George Faunce Allman (organist of St James', King St). The stop list included a Tromba and a Phonon Diapason on the Great, these being duplexed to the Choir so it could be used as a Solo division. There was also a stop rarely found on organs outside Germany - a Doppel Flute 8'. Of three manuals and 45 stops, this instrument was contained in an imposing Art Deco/neo-Gothic case of Queensland maple displaying towers of pipes witth bronze finish. The detached console was equipped with circular stop buttons mounted on angled jambs; these illuminated in the "on" position and were activated by the merest touch. In less than 20 years after this organ was built, many faults had developed in the electro-pneumatic action, as well as runnings in the windchests. These defects were corrected by H, N & B in 1953, and since 1970, Pitchford and Garside have rebuilt the console (removing the illuminating stops) and effected tonal alterations to create a more classical specification.

Photo: Mark Quarmby

Hill, Norman & Beard 1933 (3/44 electric with several prepared for stops)

Great Double Open Diapason Open Diapason Phonon Diapason Wald Flute Viole Octave Harmonic Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Mixture Tromba Swell Contra Viole Open Diapason Lieblich Gedact Viole Octave Harmonic Flute Nazard Fifteenth Larigot Mixture Contra Fagotto Fagotto Trumpet Choir (unenclosed) Phonon Diapason Gedackt Dulciana Harmonic Flute Dulcet Twelfth Fifteenth Tierce Scharff Sifflute Krummhorn Pedal Major Bass Open Diapason Bourdon Ducliana Contra Viole Principal Octave Fifteenth Mixture Posaune Contra Fagotto Schalmei

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

D A prepared for B C C A E * * prepared for prepared for D E B * * C *

Swell to Great
Swell Octave to Great
Swell Sub Octave to Great
Choir to Great
Swell to Choir
Swell Octave to Choir
Swell Sub Octave to Choir
Swell Octave
Swell Sub Octave
Choir Octave
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Choir to Pedal

5 pistons to Great
5 pistons to Swell
5 pistons to Choir
5 pistons to Pedal

* Denotes later additions by Pitchford and Garside c. 1980

Photo: Simon Colvin
Photo: Simon Colvin

Information from Historic Organs of NSW, G Rushworth 1988 and organists Daniel Dries, Peter Guy and Mark Quarmby


Photos by Daniel Mitterdorfer 2006