St Andrew's Anglican Church, Lutwyche
[Photograph by Howard Baker (1990s)]
St Andrew's Anglican Church, Lutwyche
[Photograph by Howard Baker (1990s)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by Geoffrey Cox
© OHTA 2012 (last updated January 2012)
The land on which St Andrew's Church stands was donated by Alfred James Peter Lutwyche, the first resident judge in the Moreton Bay district in 1859, after whom the suburb of Lutwyche is named. The area was first settled in the 1860s, and the first St Andrew's Church, designed by the Brisbane architect R.G. Suter, was opened on 30 November 1866. The church was extended in 1885. The present church was designed by the Melbourne architect Louis Williams, and the nave was opened and dedicated on 8 August 1926.1 The peal of 13 bells was dedicated in November 1927,2 and the present chancel and sanctuary were completed and consecrated on 4 December 1960.3
The first St Andrew's Anglican Church, Lutwyche, in 1888
[Photograph: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland]
Foundation stone of the present church (1925)
and stone marking the completion of the east end (1960)
[Photographs by Geoffrey Cox (January 2012)]
First Organ
There was a harmonium in use at the opening of the first church at Lutwyche in 1866,4 and it was still in use at least as late as 1878 when a vote of thanks was given to 'Mrs Whish for presiding at the harmonium.'5 The pipe organ was installed some time before 1915, apparently having been built between 1862 and 1885 by The Revd William Francis Gore, probably in England. It was installed in All Saints' Anglican Church, Yandilla, Qld, either in 1888 or (more likely) in 1892.6 This instrument was moved from the old church into the new church when it was opened at Lutwyche in 1926,7 and then in 1929 to St John's Anglican Church, Bulimba,8 where it remains.
Interior of the first St Andrew's Anglican Church, Lutwyche,
showing the organ built by The Revd W.F. Gore
for All Saints' Anglican Church, Yandilla
[Photograph from K.H. Addison et al,
The Growth of Lutwyche Parish (1951), p. 20]
Present Organ
The present organ was built in 1929 by Whitehouse Bros of Brisbane at a cost of £466.9 Although the new church was opened in 1926, it was not until January 1929 that the Parochial Council instructed Whitehouse Bros to proceed with construction of a completely new organ. It was reported to be ready for erection by September 1929.10
This was one of the standard organs with tubular-pneumatic action built by the Whitehouse firm at the time. Although it was designed as a two-manual organ, including a two-manual console, only the Great and Pedal Organs were completed at first.
The Swell stops were added by Whitehouse Bros in 1960, at the same time as the organ was installed in the purpose-built loft on the left-hand side of the new chancel and sanctuary.11
The enlarged Whitehouse Bros organ installed in 1960
in the new chancel at St Andrew's Anglican Church, Lutwyche
[Photographs by Howard Baker (1990s)]
The additions of 1960 were presumably in accordance with the original design of 1929, although remarkably conservative for this time:
| GREAT Open Diapason Stop Diapason Dulciana Principal SWELL Salicional Gedact Oboe PEDAL Bourdon COUPLERS Great Octave Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Swell to Great Swell to Great Super Swell to Great Sub Swell Octave |
8 8 8 4 8 8 8 16 |
[originally 'Gedact'] [1960] [1960] [1960] [1960] [1960] [1960] [1960] [1960] |
Tremulant [1960]
Detached stop-key console (originally attached)
Radiating concave pedalboard
Electro-pneumatic action (originally tubular-pneumatic)
Compass: 58/30.12
In 1982 the action was electrified by H.W. Jarrott, at which time the console was detached and placed on the opposite side of the chancel.13 New stop-keys were supplied at this time, and some of the stop nomenclature was modified.
The Whitehouse console detached in 1982
and modified stop-key details
[Photographs by Geoffrey Cox (January 2012)]
The entire organ was moved to the right-hand side of the organ loft in 1992 by W.J. Simon Pierce, thus improving the projection of sound into the building.14
[Photograph by Geoffrey Cox (January 2012)]
________________________________________________________________________
1 K.H. Addison et al, The Growth of Lutwyche Parish (Lutwyche: St Andrew's Parish, 1951), pp. 6, 14, 21, 24.
2 St Andrew's Anglican Church, Parish of Lutwyche, www.standrewslutwyche.org.au – accessed August 2007.
3 Plaque cited by G. Cox, 2009.
4 The Brisbane Courier (1 Dec 1866) - cited in K. H. Addison et al, The Growth of Lutwyche Parish (Lutwyche: St Andrew's Parish, 1951), p. 6.
5 Minutes of the adjourned Easter meeting of St Andrew's Lutwyche, 1 May 1878 (Anglican Diocese of Brisbane Records & Archive Centre).
6 See: St John's Anglican Church, Bulimba
7 Addison, op. cit, pp. 23-24.
8 Minutes of the Parochial Council meeting of St Andrew's, Lutwyche, 10 September 1929 (Anglican Diocese of Brisbane Records & Archive Centre).
9 Whitehouse Bros Ledger (1922-1940), p. 448.
10 Minutes of the Parochial Council meetings of St Andrew's, Lutwyche, 8 January 1929, 9 May 1929 & 10 September 1929, and Easter meeting, 17 April 1929 (Anglican Diocese of Brisbane Records & Archive Centre)
11 Personal communication to G. Cox from Ken Addison (organist), c.1974
12 Specification noted by G. Cox, 1987; Original specification from Notebooks of E.R. Salisbury and Collected Specifications of Bernie Brohan (c.1952).
13 Personal communication to G. Cox from H.W. Jarrott (undated).
14 Personal communication to G. Cox from W.J. Simon Pierce, January 2001.