St Paul's Anglican Church, Ashgrove
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
St Paul's Anglican Church, Ashgrove
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by Geoffrey Cox
© OHTA 2012 (last updated June 2012)
The foundation stone of this church was laid in July 1951, and the church was opened and dedicated by Archbishop Halse on 15 September 1952. Services had previously been held in the church hall for more than 25 years.1 The architect of the present church was Donald Bain of Brisbane.2
Interior of St Paul's Anglican Church, Ashgrove
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
The organ was built in 1955 by Whitehouse Bros of Brisbane at a cost of £2,701.17.9,3 and dedicated by Archbishop Halse on 25 September that year.4 Along with the organ at St Finbarr's Catholic Church, Ashgrove (1957), Cromwell College, St Lucia (1955) and the Presbyterian Church, St Lucia (1954), this was one of the last by the firm to use pneumatic action, and one of the last such organs to be built in Australia.
The 1955 Whitehouse Bros organ
at St Paul's Anglican Church, Ashgrove
[Photographs by David Vann (May 2012)]
There were proposals in 1982 to electrify the action of the organ and to move it from the organ chamber to the rear of the church.5 The proposal to move it to the rear of the church appears never to have been carried out, but the action of the organ was electrified by H.W. Jarrott of Brisbane around this time.6 New console fittings and additional couplers appear to have been provided. Revoicing to strengthen the Flute 4ft on the Great (by increasing the mouth cut-ups) was carried out in 1988 by W.J. Simon Pierce.7
| GREAT Open Diapason Dulciana Flute SWELL Violin Diapason Dulcet Oboe PEDAL Bourdon COUPLERS Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell to Great Swell Sub Octave Swell Super Octave Swell Sub to Great Swell Super to Great Great Super Octave Pedal Octave |
8 8 4 8 4 8 16 |
[c.1982] [c.1982] [c.1982] |
Swell tremulant
Attached stop-key console
Balanced swell pedal
Compass: 61/30
Electric action (originally tubular-pneumatic).8
Console details of the 1955 Whitehouse Bros organ
[Photograph by David Vann (May 2012)]
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1 Orders of Service for 'Setting and Blessing of the Foundation Stone' (1 July 1951) and 'Dedication of the Church of St. Paul, Ashgrove in the Parish of Ithaca' (15 June 1952), Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, Records and Archives Centre, filed under 'Ithaca' at ITHA S017, Box 10
2 Personal communication to G. Cox from Fr Terry Booth (Rector), May 2012.
3 Whitehouse Bros List.
4 'Church of St. Paul, Ashgrove: Dedication of the organ … Sunday 25th September, 1955 at 9 A.M.' Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, Records and Archives Centre, filed under 'Ithaca' at ITHA S017, Box 10
5 'Correspondence re. Pipe Organ,' Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, Records and Archives Centre, filed under 'Ithaca' at ITHA S017, Box 10
6 Personal communication to G. Cox from H.W. Jarrott, May 2012.
7 Organ Society of Queensland Newsletter, vol. 16, no. 5 (April 1989), p. 49.
8 Specification noted by G. Cox, March 1974, and D. Vann, May 2012.