Christ Church Anglican & Uniting Church
McCracken Street, Kensington

B c.1858 John Courcelle. Inst 1927 from Methodist Church, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda.
1m, 5spst, pedal pulldowns, tr. Man: 8.8 divided.8.4.2.

The organ in this church was built by the London organbuilder John Courcelle and came from the Methodist Church, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda when that church acquired a larger instrument built in 1927 by Frederick Taylor. Courcelle built seven organs for buildings in Victoria between the late 1850s and mid-1860s.

The Argus 20 August 1865, p.1 reported:

For sale. Church organ, a Courcelle organ (enclosed in a swell case) with six stops, pedal coupling 20 notes and three composition pedals. The organ is now erected and can be tested by application to Mr. Richard Whitehead, Hall of Commerce, Melbourne.

It is likely that this is the organ now at Kensington. which remains essentially unaltered. It is of interest for its unusually powerful and bright sound and its case consisting of three Gothic gables containing gilt dummy wooden pipes.

MANUAL Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Bass Clarabella Dulciana Principal Fifteenth

8 8 8 8 4 2

CC-BB TC TC

Compass: 56/20
Pedal pulldowns
All pipework enclosed in swell box
Trigger swell lever
3 composition pedals
Mechanical key and stop action


John Maidment
18 November 2010

Images kindly supplied by Steve Manders