Uniting (formerly Congregational) Church
Brougham Place, North Adelaide

B 1882 W.G. Rendall; enlarged 1882; rebuilt 1914 J.E. Dodd
2 manuals, 21 speaking stops, 5 couplers, tubular-pneumatic action

from OHTA CONFERENCE BOOK 1986

This former Congregational Church was left in a "rugged and unfinished state" for a period of twelve years before the tower and the interior and exterior finish were completed. [1] Special attention was paid to the acoustics and after the pipe organ was installed in 1882 the position of organist attracted many distinguished musicians, including T H Jones. [2] In March of 1881 the deacons of the church accepted the tender of Rendall to build their organ [3] and in July of that year the 16' Open Diapason pipes of "the largest two manual organ in the colony" were exhibited in the Adelaide Exhibition. [4] The organ was opened on March 28th 1882. [5] Three new stops were quickly added by June 1882. [6] The instrument has moved position and its action changed from tubular- to electro-pneumatic. Dodd restored the instrument in 1914. [7]

Photos: TB 1986

The specification is:

Great Bourdon Open Diapason Claribel Keraulophon Salicional Principal Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Mixture Clarinet Swell Lieblich Bourdon Open Diapason Gedackt Gamba Harmonic Flute Fifteenth Mixture Horn Oboe Pedal Open Diapason Bourdon Bass Flute

16 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 III 8 16 8 8 8 4 2 III 8 8 16 16 8

wood

compass 56/30

3 Swell pistons
3 Great pistons
(all pistons inoperable)

Balanced Swell Pedal
Swell to Great
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Swell Suboctave
Swell Octave

Located in east wall.

From the 2009 OHTA Conference Book, David Shield writes:

 

Brougham Place Uniting Church is one of the most prominent townscape features of Adelaide.  The organ is notable for its case and tonal design.  Its location and action have changed over time.  The console has been moved from its attached position and relocated to possibly two positions at floor level before returning to its current location.  The action has changed from tracker to pneumatic to electric.  The main bellows remains in position but is disconnected and smaller bellows have taken its place.  Motive power has changed for hand pumping to hydraulic then electric motor.  There have been some minor changes in the stop list and labelling.  Despite this, the instrument must be regarded as one of Walter Rendall’s most important works.

 

On 15 May 1860, the foundation stone (taken from the bed of the River Torrens) was laid.  It is interesting to note that in addition to the usual records of the day, copies of the daily papers and coins of different denomination, was added a piece of Australian gold and a piece of smelted copper from the Burra Burra Works.¹  The church architects were Edmund Wright and E.A. Hamilton and the traveller might be excused for making comparisons with the many churches rebuilt by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666 which “all had clear glass windows so as to show off the wood carving, painted altar pieces and ironwork” of the church interior.²  Although Brougham Place had no painted altar piece, and many of the original clear glass windows have now been replaced with colour, it did have ironwork in the altar rail, since removed, and plenty of soft hued timber.

 

The church was to remain in an unfinished state for a period of 12 years before the tower and interior and exterior finishes were complete.  In 1871, Hamilton submitted a design for a tower to be constructed to 107 feet (32.6m) in height.  In 1878, Thomas Frost was commissioned to plan a lecture hall, classrooms and organ gallery.³  The harmonium could be dispensed with, allowing an organ to replace it.

 

In March 1881, the deacons of the church accepted the tender of a young Walter Rendall to build their organ.⁴  Rendall had little experience and no formal apprenticeship in building organs.⁵  By early the following year, Arthur Hobday, professionally trained, clearly had the impression that Rendall was struggling to complete the erection of the organ.  In a letter to Fincham in Melbourne he noted “Rendall has been three weeks now putting up in the Church the new organ he has built for them and from all accounts will be many more before complete”.  This may have been professional jealousy as Fincham & Hobday were trying to establish themselves in Adelaide.  They were only just completing their first instrument for Norwood Baptist Church, giving a factory recital on 1 April 1882.⁶  The competition was obviously keen.  In May “after a very severe struggle” Hobday secured the order for the Presbyterian Church in Flinders Street.  The standard of Rendall’s carved cedar case at Brougham Place is outstanding, with its display pipes decorated in four styles; it consists of three towers and four flats with the following arrangement of pipes: 9 5 6 3 6 5 9.  The outer flats are curved, possibly deriving from the Hill & Son organ at the Town Hall and there are ceramic tiles inlaid beneath the impost.  This apparently forced Hobday to follow Rendall’s lead and give the Presbyterians a good case:  “they made me give a second design (with pipes in the ends as well as front) the first not being good enough.”⁷

 

The Rendall organ was opened on Sunday 26 March 1882 with two special services.  The organ was regarded as a fine addition to the church presenting a handsome appearance.  The rich full volume of sound and likewise the softer notes were satisfactory.  The tone and power were as “superior to any other in the city”.  In June the following year, the organ was “rendered more powerful and effective”.  Presumably prepared for, Rendall added a Double Diapason 16ft, 3-rank Mixture, and Violoncello 8ft.⁸  By 1891, the organ became inoperable.  Fincham & Hobday repaired the organ and it was successfully reopened in May.⁹

 

The position of the organ made it difficult for a combined organist/choirmaster to operate effectively.  Early in 1910, Frederick Bevan sought Dodd’s advice.  In reply he received the opinion “that the only satisfactory method to be adopted, to bring the Choir and Organ under the entire control of the Director, is to Extend the Console to a position in the present FRONT AISLE of the Church, and immediately opposite the position at present occupied by the Key-board.”¹⁰  This was quite a radical move involving new console and keyboard, stopkeys replacing drawstops and pneumatic action throughout.  The hydraulic engine was to be kept, and remained till 1922 when replaced with an electric motor and fan.¹¹  A detailed contract was drawn up but not acted upon until 1913-14.  The “barrier rail” was also required to be moved back.¹² With minor changes, this appears to have been the situation when Stiller documented the organ in 1980, remaining until the rebuild in 2007.  Stiller noted the original Great Clarinet had been removed, and several ranks had been renamed.  The Pedal Violoncello 8ft was now Bass Flute 8ft, Swell Gemshorn 2ft renamed Fifteenth 2ft, Viola da Gamba 8ft shortened to Gamba 8ft and Stopped Diapason 8ft renamed Gedackt 8ft.  On the Great, the Clear Flute 4ft was shortened to Flute 4ft.  It is noted that the Stopped Diapason 8ft has reappeared on the Great, presumably on the slide originally occupied by the Clarionet.¹³

 

Of interest is the small room to the right hand side of the organ where there is the slot for the blowing handle.  An “Honorary Organ Blowers Association” membership listing is recorded together with other historical graffiti.  The name of F. Bevan is prominent.  The hydraulic blowing engine remained in situ until major building improvements were made c.1977.  It was photographed before removal and now with the vertical pumping beam is in the possession of the South Australian Committee of OHTA.

 

Keri Williams was a foundation member of the Adelaide Harmony Choir in 1947 and also a member of the church at Brougham Place. Largely through his efforts the church was restored, receiving heritage listing.  After his death in 1988, a memorial concert was held with the proceeds to go towards the restoration of the organ, a project that he also championed.¹⁴  Quotations were received from an organbuilder and advice sought from OHTA Director Ray Holland during 1999, but action was not taken until 2007 when the rebuilt drawknob console returned to its current position.

 

W.G. Rendall 1881, enl 1882; repaired Fincham & Hobday 1891;

rebuilt J.E. Dodd 1914; rebuilt L. Jacob 2007

2 manuals, 22 speaking stops, electro-pneumatic action

 

 

GREAT ORGAN
Bourdon	16
Open Diapason	8
Claribel	8
Keraulophon	8
Stopped Diapason	8	TC
Salicional	8
Principal	4
Flute	4
Twelfth	2-2/3
Fifteenth	2
Mixture	III
Swell to Great
SWELL ORGAN
Lieblich Bourdon	16
Open Diapason	8
Gedeckt	8
Gamba	8
Harmonic Flute	4
Fifteenth	2
Mixture	III
Horn	8
Oboe	8
Tremulant
Swell Sub
Swell Octave
PEDAL ORGAN
Open Diapason	16
Bourdon	16
Bass Flute	8
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

 

 

Compass: 56/30

3 thumb pistons to Great

3 thumb pistons to Swell

2 toe pistons to Pedal

Reversible toe piston for Great to Pedal

Balanced swell pedal

 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

1  Advertiser, 17 May 1860, p.3

 

2  Betjeman, J., City of London Churches (Pitkin Guide, 1993), p.3

 

3  Marsden, S., et al, Heritage of the City of Adelaide (1990), pp.331-32

 

4  Register, 5 March 1881, p. 5.2

 

5  See sections on St Cyprian’s Church, North Adelaide and St Peter’s Church, Point Pass for further examples of Rendall’s early work

 

6  Fincham letters 12/41 (24 January 1882); ibid 12/46 5 (April 1882).  For a wider discussion of those involved in the factory recital, see: Shield D., ‘The Elusive Faith Blown : Organists of South Australia’, OHTA News, vol.22, no.2 (April 1998), pp.16-18, 23-29; ibid, vol.22, no.3 (July 1998), pp.22-27

 

7  Fincham letters 12/50 25 (May 1882): Hobday to Fincham.

 

8  Advertiser, 1 April 1882, p. 2.2; Register, 19 June 1882, p.5.1

 

9  Fincham letters 7/391 (10 June 1891): Fincham to Dodd; ibid, 7/421 (30 June 1891): Fincham to Dodd

 

10  DLB 1910-12: Dodd to Bevan (21 January 1910): resent - DLB 1909-14: Dodd to Deacons 21 April 1913

 

11  Ibid.;  DLB 1922-25: Dodd to J..O. McEwin 28 October 1922

 

12  The ‘Front Aisle position’ of 1914 may have been a second move of console location.  The water engine operating handle is still located on the panelling immediately below the pulpit suggesting this was a previous position of the console.  The new console was initially requested in 1910 to be walnut, but Dodd maintained cedar was in keeping with the furnishings already in place: DLB 1909-14 (21 April 1913): Dodd to Deacons

 

13  Stiller J., Documentation Uniting Church Brougham Place North Adelaide Organ (7 January 1980)

 

14  Programme with Adelaide Harmony Choir: Keri Williams Memorial Concert 6/8/1989.

Trevor Bunning (March 2009)

 

 

 

[1] The Adelaide Observer Saturday July 20, 1872
[2] Pope op cit p7
[3] Register Saturday March 5 1881 p5, col 2
[4] ibid Exhibition Supplement Friday July 22, 1881 p2 col 6
[5] Naylor op cit pp 679-680
[6] Register Monday June 19 1882 p5 col 1
[7] Naylor op cit