St Peters Lutheran Church, Cumming Street, Blackwood
[Photograph by Monika Friedrich (February 2006)]
St Peters Lutheran Church, Cumming Street, Blackwood
[Photograph by Monika Friedrich (February 2006)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by David Shield
© OHTA 2012 (last updated May 2012)
The Lutheran presence in Blackwood was established in the 1940s. A small group held services in the Masonic Hall on Main Road. Two decades later a Sunday School was begun, meeting in the Memorial Hall, Coromandel Parade.
Church services were held once or twice a month with music provided by an old piano. In September 1965 St Peter's Lutheran Church was firmly established. The following year land was purchased and Mr N.R. Drogemuller was employed to design a hall and future church. Mr G. Langdon's tender was accepted to build the first section and the foundation stone of the hall, a simple rectangular structure of cream brick, was laid on 12 June 1966.2 A series of windows provided a fine view over the valley to the East. The hall was enlarged during 1977 by extending the Eastern side some fifteen feet allowing the space beneath to be used with the additional room created.
St Peter's Lutheran Church, 199 Main Road, Blackwood
[Photographs supplied by Monika Friedrich (undated)]
The Pfeiffer's of Tanunda provided an Estey reed organ for the church use. This went to Faith Lutheran Secondary School when replaced by a slightly larger one purchased from Clem Geyer of Tanunda in 1974. In turn it was succeeded in 1978 by a two manual hand pumped instrument from the North Adelaide Immanuel Lutheran Church originally purchased in 1938.
Initial moves for a pipe organ were made in 1986. Quotations were sought from Australian Pipe Organs, Knud Smenge, Roger Pogson and George Stephens. A contract to purchase was made with George Stephens in 1988. The organ was placed in the south-east corner behind the congregation. It was dedicated on 6 August 1989. The guest organist for the occasion was David Mibus, then at St Stephen's Lutheran Church, Wakefield Street.3
St Peter's Lutheran Church, Pipe Organ, 199 Main Road, Blackwood
[Photographs supplied by Monika Friedrich (undated)]
The organ was constructed by George Stephens Organ Builder Pty Ltd, of Lonsdale, at a cost of $34,200. Built on the extension principle, it had 305 pipes, electro-pneumatic action and electronic registration. There were three extended ranks: Flute (Gedackt) 97 pipes, Open Diapason 85 pipes, String (Salicional) 73 pipes, plus the Mixture II of 50 pipes. With the exception of the lowest octave of the Flute and Diapason ranks, all pipes were enclosed.
Proposed church facing main Road with hall at rear
Photograph from architectural plans (August 1965)
The original plans to build the church were thwarted by regulations concerning parking. A new location was sought to a parcel of land that was to become available for redevelopment. Mission outreach had developed a plan for a primary school in addition to the church. This too was prevented by public pressure against the site. Finally the church, with proposed school, relocated to the present site. Building works commenced in July 1998. The church hall and properties were sold at auction on 8 August 1998 with a closing service on 25 October. The organ was removed to storage with George Stephens of Adelaide.
As the new buildings were not complete the congregation worshipped at St Paul's Catholic Church in Blackwood during the transition stage. The school opened with the new school year in 1999 and the first service in the church was held on Sunday
21 February without the organ. The reconstructed organ was installed and a dedication of the whole complex held on 2 May 1999.
Interior, St Peters Lutheran Church, Cumming Street, Blackwood
[Photograph by David Shield (April 2012)].
Interior, St Peters Lutheran Church, Cumming Street, Blackwood
[Photograph by David Shield (April 2012)].
The organ was relocated to an alcove specially built for its placement. This new position required modifications to be made to the instrument. The console was reconstructed detached from the casework and rebuilt with an electric swell mechanism. The opportunity was taken to prepare for the installation of a reed rank in the organ.4
SPECIFICATION 2012
| MANUAL I Open Diapason Gedackt Salicional Principal Flute Fifteenth Mixture Trumpet Swell to Great MANUAL II Gedackt Salicional Flute Salicet Piccolo Larigot Trumpet Clarion PEDAL Bourdon Principal Gedackt Fifteenth Trombone Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal |
8 8 8 4 4 2 II 8 8 8 4 4 2 1-1/3 8 4 16 8 8 4 16 |
A B C A B A D B C B C C B B A B A |
prepared 1989 prepared 1989 prepared 1989 prepared 1989 |
Compass: 61/30
Balanced Swell Pedal.5
Console
[Photograph by David Shield (April 2012)].
Keyboards and stop tabs
[Photograph by David Shield (April 2012)].
Stop tabs reading from left to right
[Photographs by David Shield (April 2012)].
Nameplate
[Photograph by David Shield (April 2012)].
1 Prior to 1999 the church is referred to as St Peter's. With the development of the church and school complex the use of the apostrophe was discontinued.
2 Unless otherwise stated the historical narrative comes from a history of the Church, Celebrating 40 Years 1966-2006. The church architects for the Main Road Church were Drogemuller & Pudney Architects & Associates. The Architects for the new Church and School Corner Cumming Street and Trevor Terrace were Phillips and Pilkington/Architects.
3 St Peter's Lutheran Church Blackwood, Organ Dedication, Sunday August 6, 1989 Order of Service
4 Personal comment Morris Rieger, 22 April 2012
5 Order of Service op.cit.