Powerhouse Museum
Harris Street, Ultimo
Please note that some instruments are now being displayed at the
Powerhouse Museum Discovery Centre in Castle Hill
Organs in the Musical Instruments Collection
Benjamin Flight c.1830 (1/6 mechanical)
William Johnson c.1845 (1/3 mechanical)
Mowll Chamber Organ c. 1820 (1/6 mechanical)
John Longman barrel organ 1806 (1/4 mechanical)
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra continuo organ Mander 2003 (1/4 mechanical)
Benjamin Flight c.1830 (1/6 mechanical)
Now on display at the Powerhouse Museum Discovery Centre in Castle Hill
Flight organ shown in Canberra Uniting Church
© PdL 2006
From SOJ April/May 1994
This organ was placed in the Powerhouse Museum in December 1993 after having been owned by Rev Michael Johnson. Prior to this it was located in the Canberra Uniting Church when Rev Johnson was the minister there. It was restored by Manuel da Costa and is on display in the section on musical instruments. It was built by Benjamin Flight c. 1820-1830 for a unknown location before being installed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Hamilton in Newcastle(date unknown). Here it was restored in 1971 by Arthur Jones and was on loan to Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, Newcastle 1977-79 while their main organ was dismantled. It was sold in 1980 to Revd. Michael Johnson, Colac, Victoria who had it placed in his Canberra church before finally being placed in the Powerhouse Museum when he retired to Tasmania.
The stop knobs are arranged horizontally over the manual. Originally they were arranged vertically on the right hand side. The compass was originally GG compass with no pedals. The façade contains dummy gilt wood pipes with red cloth backing. There used to be two composition pedals and a Swell lever, all long removed.
Its specification is:
| Manual Open Diapason Stop Diapason Bass Stop Diapason Flute Principal Fifteenth Pedal |
8 8 8 4 4 2 16 |
Compass 54/20
Mechanical action
William Johnson c.1845 (1/3 mechanical)
Now on display at the Powerhouse Museum Discovery Centre in Castle Hill
© PdL 2006
From SOJ April/May 1992
William Johnson was the first organist of Christ Church St Laurence. This instrument has four stops and three ranks as follows:
| Manual Stop Diapason Treble Stop Diapason Bass Principal Dulciana |
8 8 4 8 |
TC |
Compass 54 notes
The keyboard is retractable and the naturals are covered in bone instead of ivory. All the pipework is enclosed behind a "Venetian swell" and the organ is pumped by the player using an elegantly-forged pedal. The wind pressure is on 1-7/8"
Mowll Chamber Organ
B. unknown [English chamber organ, c.1820 in regency case].
Acquired from estate of late Archbishop H.W.K. Mowll, following his death in 1958.
1 manual, 6 speaking stops, no pedals, tracker action
Man: 8.8 divided.4.4.2.III divided. At present in storage.
Now on display at the Powerhouse Museum Discovery Centre at Castle Hill
Mowll Chamber organ
Photos above supplied by JRM May 2006
From the Sydney Organ Journal (Winter 2013), Robert Parkinson writes:
It was last owned by Archbishop Mowll and had been bought by his father as a domestic instrument. Inherited from a brother and probably intended for a small church or chapel, it proved unsuitable and ended up in the entrance hall of Bishopscourt, home of Sydney's archbishops in Darling Point, from where it has found its final resting place in the museum.
It is now on display in the Powerhouse Museum's Discovery Centre at Castle Hill.
John Longman barrel organ
B. 1806 (1/4 mechanical)
John Longman built barrel organs at Cheapside, London. It was acquired for the collection in 1978.
The stops are:
Diapason [Stopt Diapason]
Principal
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Triangle
Drum
The images show the casework and the tune list.
Photos John Stiller 1980 and specification JRM