Melbourne Town Hall

Swanston Street, Melbourne

Hill, Norman & Beard, London & Melbourne, 1927-1929
4 manuals, 110 speaking stops, electro-pneumatic action
The largest new concert organ built in the British Empire during the interwar period
Greatly enlarged and altered by Schantz 1999-2000

 

The original Town Hall buildings were designed by Melbourne architects Reed & Barnes. The foundation stone was laid in 1867 by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, son of Queen Victoria, and the building opened on 9 August 1870.

The present hall was constructed, in art-deco style, between 1926 and 1927 to the designs of Melbourne architects Stephenson & Meldrum, following the destruction of the original auditorium by fire in 1925. The largest civic hall in the country in cubic area, it is much wider than its predecessor, an additional allotment to the north being taken over for the purpose. The interior was redecorated in the original muted paint colours in  the 1990s.

Tenders were invited from around the world for the construction of a new grand organ: Hill, Norman & Beard and Henry Willis & Sons were the two main contenders. The tender of Hill, Norman & Beard for £31,483/19/7d for their job no 2650 was accepted by the Council and work proceeded apace both in the builder's York Road factory in London and in their new factory at Clifton Hill, Melbourne. The elaborately carved casework, in Queensland maple, and incorporating huge bronze grilles and zinc pipes veneered in spotted metal, was designed by the architects of the hall. The opening recital was given by Dr W.G.Price, city organist, on 3 July 1929.

The instrument remained substantially unaltered, retaining its original mechanism and pipework, until being replaced by the Schantz instrument in 1999-2000.  It was of international significance as the second largest new organ (after Liverpool Cathedral) constructed in the British Empire during the inter-war period, and was believed to be the largest essentially intact concert organ of the period outside the American continent. It was an instrument of heroic scale and substance, with many harmonic and overlength pipe formations, enormously thick pipe walls, spacious windchests, extended octaves to many ranks, and wide access stair and walk ways throughout the organ. Apart from the majority of the pipework and the casework, almost everything from the 1929 organ has been discarded, with a new internal layout and massive additions.




Click here to download a pdf copy (2MB) of the 1929 Melbourne Town Hall brochure



 



MELBOURNE TOWN HALL

William Hill & Son and Norman & Beard Ltd London & Melbourne 1929 (job number 2650)

(for a more detailed specification please see pdf link above)

 

GREAT ORGAN

Unenclosed
Tibia Profunda
Double Open Diapason
Diapason Phonon
Open Diapason I
Tibia Plena
Octave Diapason
Octave Coupler



16
16
8
8
8
4




A
B


A


 
Enclosed
Open Diapason II
Gamba Major
Hohl Flöte
Principal
Wald Flöte
Stopped Quint
Fifteenth
Tierce
Grand Fourniture
Contra Trombone
Trombone
Tromba
Harmonic Trumpet
Clarion
Sub Oct Swell to Great
Swell to Great
Octave Swell to Great
Sub Oct Choir to Great
Choir to Great
Sub Oct Solo to Great
Solo to Great
Octave Solo to Great
Orchestral to Great *


8
8
8
4
4
3
2
1-3/5
VI-VII rks
32
16
8
8
4





















D













[shutters removed 1960s]


open bass





12.15.17.19.b21.22 C rearranged 1960s
1-12 ½ length: in storage 1960s-














 
SWELL ORGAN
Violone
Diapason Phonon
Geigen Principal
Cor de Nuit
Aeoline
Vox Angelica FF *
Octave Gamba
Harmonic Flute
Harmonic Quint
Salicetina
Mixture
Oboe
Vox Humana
Tremulant
Double Trumpet
Horn
Orchestral Trumpet
Clarion
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Octave
Solo to Swell
Orchestral to Swell *


16
8
8
8
8
8
4
4
3
2
III rks
8
8

16
8
8
4







E























(73 note chests)










15.19.22













 
CHOIR ORGAN
Contra Salicional
Horn Diapason
Lieblich Gedeckt
Corno Flute
Lieblich Flöte
Echo Viola
Piccolo
Dulciana Cornet
Closed Horn
Tremulant
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Octave
Swell to Choir
Swell Octave to Choir
Solo to Choir
Great Reeds to Choir
Orchestral to Choir *


16
8
8
8
4
4
2
III rks
8











F


















enclosed [shutters removed 1960s]







12.15.17 later reduced to Twelfth 3











 
SOLO ORGAN
Quintaton
Violoncello
Salicional
Harmonic Claribel
Concert Flute Harmonic
Harmonic Piccolo
Schalmei
Clarinet
Orchestral Oboe
Tremulant
Tuba
Tuba
Tuba
Tuba Sonora
Glockenspiel
Carillon
Carillon Mute
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Octave
Orchestral to Solo *


16
8
8
8
4
2
16
8
8

16
8
4
8
2














G



H
H
H









enclosed except Tuba Sonora (73 note chests)



open bass

[originally Flute Celeste 8]
large-scale Clarinet with bells






2 ranks in treble
Steel bars TF to C 20 notes
Tubular bells A to E 20 notes






 
ORCHESTRAL STRING
Contra Viola
Tibia Clausa
Viol d'Orchestre
String Celeste II
Octave Viola
Tiercina
Quint Viola
Violette
Tremulant *
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Octave


16
8
8
8
4
3-1/5
3
2






I












enclosed in Solo box: floating division













 
ECHO ORGAN
Section I
Lieblich Gedeckt
Lieblich Gedeckt
Lieblich Flöte
Geigen Principal
Viola
Tibia Mollis
Musette
Vox Mystica
Tremulant
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Octave


16
8
4
8
4
4
8
8






J
J










enclosed and placed at rear of hall behind grille: dismantled and stored 1960s









(acting on both sections)



 
Section II
Viole Sourdine
Voix Celestes
Zauber Flöte
Unda Maris
Harmonia Aetheria 1
Post Horn
Harp
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Octave


8
8
8
8
1IV rks
8







TC

TC










harmonic stopped pipes
harmonic stopped pipes
10.12.b14.15

49 bars and resonators G to C




 
PEDAL ORGAN
Tibia Profunda
Double Open Diapason
Great Bass
Tibia Profunda
Open Diapason
Contra Bass
Violone
String Bass
Bourdon
Contra Salicional
Quint
Flute Major
Principal
Cello
Stopped Flute
Super Octave
Grand Fourniture
Diaphone
Diaphone
Tuba
Trombone
Schalmei
Tuba
Bass Drum Tap and Roll *
Side Drum Tap and Roll *
Great to Pedal *
Swell to Pedal *
Choir to Pedal *
Solo to Pedal *
Pedal Off


32
32
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
10-2/3
8
8
8
8
4
VI
32
16
16
16
16
8









A
K
L
A
K
B
E
I
M
F
M
L
K
E
M
K

N
N
H
D
G
H









wood
wood/metal
wood

metal











part C, bottom octave on slider chest
metal 26" diameter
18" diameter
10" diameter
8½" diameter


rolls by second touch
rolls by second touch






 
ECHO PEDAL
Violone
Bourdon
Flute Bass

16
16
8


J
J

derived; synthetic


 

The Orchestral and Echo divisions couple through to the Pedal Organ when transferred to the relevant manual and the pedal coupler for that manual is drawn

Stops marked with an asterisk (*) operated by rocking tablets

WIND PRESSURES
Great Organ fluework 6 – 10 inches
Great Organ reeds 12 inches
Swell Organ fluework and light reeds 6 inches
Swell Organ chorus reeds and Diapason Phonon 10 inches
Choir Organ 5 inches
Solo Organ 7 inches
Solo Organ Tubas 20 inches
Orchestral Organ 6 inches
Pedal Organ fluework 4 – 6 inches
Pedal Organ Diaphones 20 inches

Compass: 61/32
Balanced swell pedals to: Great second division and Choir; Swell; Solo and Orchestra; Echo
Balanced crescendo pedal

Specification derived from examination of photographs of the stop jambs, the Hill, Norman & Beard pamphlet and an article by Herbert Snow in The Organ July 1929.

 

 

 













Photos: Simon Colvin