cnr Hay & William Streets, Perth
First organ: B. 1875 Bishop & Son, London and Ipswich, rem. 1908;
now in Assembly Hall, Hale School, Wembley Downs.
Present organ: B. 1908 J.E. Dodd, Adelaide.
2m., 24sp.st., tub.pn. Enl. 1926 Roberts Ltd, Adelaide (addtn of third manual) (job no 81).
Action electrified 1933 Joe Dean. Ren. 1954 J.E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works, Adelaide (new el-pn action);
new under-actions & case lowered 1964; new console inst. 1968. Reb. 1993-95 F.J. Larner & Co.
3m., 45 sp.st., 12c., el.pn.
Gt: 16.8.8.8.8.8.4.4.2-2/3.2.1-3/5.IV.8. Sw: 16.8.8.8.8(II).4.4.III.8.8.8.
Ch: 8.8.8(II).4.2.II.8.8.8. Ped: 32.16.16.16.16.8.8.8.5-1/3.4.16.8.
From OHTA Conference Handbook 2004:
Wesley Church was built in 1867 in a Gothic style to the design of Richard Roach Jewell. Additions and alterations were made in 1895 to the design of Sir J.J. Talbot Hobbs. The building is in brick with stucco dressings and incorporates a fine tower and spire to the left of the main façade. It would be the oldest Perth City Church in its original form still being used as a place of worship, although St Mary's Cathedral nave would predate it by four years.
The organ, placed in an elevated loft in the left transept, was built in 1908 by J.E. Dodd, of Adelaide in 1926 (job no. 81) at a cost of £840. The action at this time was tubular pneumatic. The instrument was partly electrified in 1933 by Joe Dean of Claremont using magnets made by Perth firm Cousins. It was refurbished and enlarged in 1954 by J.E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works through the addition of an extended Tuba rank at 16, 8, 4, a Twelfth 2-2/3 (as a memorial to the organist E.S. Craft's son killed in action in WWII), a second Open Diapason on the Great and a 16 foot extension to the Great Dulciana on the Pedal. The Clarinet, originally on the Great, was transferred to a new unenclosed chest on the Choir Organ. In 1964 the case was lowered and new electric underactions provided. In 1968 a new console was installed, and in 1994 - 96 the organ was rebuilt and enlarged by F.J. Larner & Co. Visually, the organ retains its distinctive three-tower Dodd case, with its carved corbels, bands and transom rails and pipes enlivened with discrete coloured banding and guilding, restored in 1996 by Graham Devenish.
Comments from the church's organist, John Beaverstock (Aug 2008):
"The rebuild in 1995 included the provision of a new console. There are six pistons to each division and ten general pistons. Reversible pistons to all couplers."
The current specification is:
| Great Contra Dulciana Diapason Phonon Melodic Diapason Clarabel Lieblich Gedeckt Dulciana Principal Flute d'Orchestre Twelfth Fifteenth Tierce Mixture 19.22.26.29 Cornet Trumpet Swell Lieblich Bourdon Geigen Diapason Hohl Flute Viole d'Orchestre Voix Celeste II Octave Flute Mixture 15.19.22 Horn Oboe Vox Humana Tremulant Choir Rohr Flute Viola Unda Maris Suabe Flute Harmonic Piccolo Sesquialtera 12.17 Clarionet Orchestral Oboe Tuba Tremulant Pedal Harmonic Bass Open Diapason Sub Bass Dulciana Lieblich Bourdon Principal Flute Dulciana Twelfth Fifteenth Trombone Trumpet |
16 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 IV V 8 16 8 8 8 8 4 4 III 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 2 II 8 8 8 32 16 16 16 16 8 8 8 5-1/3 4 16 8 |
A * A * * * * draws stops marked * B TC C C A B D C A D D E E |
Compass 61/30
Electro-pneumatic action
12 couplers
Adjustable thumb and toe pistons
Reversible thumb and toe pistons
6 pistons per division and 10 general pistons
Crescendo pedal
Balanced electric swell pedals
Detached drawstop console in jarrah with jambs inlaid in oak; ivory drawknobs and keys
Ian Molyneux, Looking around Perth: a guide to the architecture of Perth and surrounding towns. East Fremantle: Wescolour Press, 1981, p.11
W.L. Roberts: transcription of the Roberts order book, compiled by David Shield
Photos: Mark Quarmby (Sept 2004)
Photo: John Beaverstock (Aug 2008)
Photos: Trevor Bunning (March 2009)