St Matthew's Anglican Church
Guildford

J.E. Dodd, Adelaide

 

 

 

 

St Matthew's Church was built in 1873 by Matthew Wallace to the designs of F. Sherwood and located on the site of the earlier church of 1860.  The building is in the Gothic style;  the west end includes a porch and a bellcote surmounting the gable.

 

The original organ was the 1878 Clifton instrument originally in St John's Church, Fremantle and now placed in St Aidan's Uniting Church, Claremont.

 

The present organ was built in 1911 by J.E. Dodd with a tubular–pneumatic action, according to vestry records.  Paul F. Hufner carried out an electrification of the primary pneumatic stage of the key action in 1951 and at some stage after this date the original wind system was replaced with a single–rise regulator.  In the 1970s the pneumatic slider motors were replaced by SLIC slider motors by a teacher at Guildford Grammar School.  In 1994, F.J. Larner and Co. constructed a new mechanical action for the Great, although this was never completed owing to lack of funds.  At this time, the original Great Claribel was replaced by a Lieblich Gedact of Dodd manufacture and the Dulciana cut down to provide a Fifteenth.

 

In 2003–04 Patrick Elms and Company refurbished the organ using the original restored slider chests with a new electric action and refitting of the console with replica Dodd stopkeys of the period.  The pattern for the stop keys was taken from the original stop rail of St Mary's Cathedral, which had used the same unusual style of stop keys.  The Dodd sound of the organ has been preserved.  All of the existing Dodd components were reused while missing parts have been remade in the Dodd style – new winding, slider motors, Great windchest pneumatics and console fittings – it continues to have a recognisable Dodd sound.

GREAT Open Diapason Lieblich Gedact Principal Suabe Flute Fifteenth     SWELL Geigen Diapason Hohl Flute Viole d'Orchestre Flauto Traverso Oboe PEDAL Bourdon

8 8 4 4 2 8 8 8 4 8 16

(replacing original Claribel) (pipes not original to organ;  installed later) (Dulciana pipework)

Compass:  58/30

6 couplers

Electro–pneumatic action

Attached stopkey console

 

         •    The Heritage of Western Australia:  the illustrated register of the National Estate.  South Melbourne:  Macmillan, 1989, p.50.

 

         •    Information supplied by Patrick Elms and Co.