Uniting (former Presbyterian) Church

Bridge Street, Port Melbourne

Previous organ installed 1897 removed 1925; details unavailable
Present organ, built 1925 Geo. Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd
2 manuals, 9 speaking stops, 3 couplers, tubular-pneumatic action




Uniting Church, Port Melbourne: exterior
[photograph by John Maidment (13 December 2011)]

Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA 2016 (last updated October 2016)

The Presbyterian Church, Sandridge, as Port Melbourne was then known, dates from the 1860s. The foundation stone was laid in August 1863 and the building opened in June 1864.1 The building has been designed in the Gothic style with a stuccoed exterior and includes a prominent bellcote over the main entrance. It became the Uniting Church in the 1970s.

Alfred Fuller supplied a reed organ to the church in 1887.2 In 1897 a pipe organ was left to the church by Mrs Davenport:

The organ given to the Presbyterian Church by the late Mrs. Davenport is now in full use at that Church. Prior to its being used for public worship it had been in the hands of Mr. Faulkner, of Bay-street, for some weeks and was completely renovated, in fact rebuilt. The pipes have been enclosed in a swell with vertical shutters, which is a great improvement on the old style. A new set of pipes — named 'Clarabella' — have been added by Mr. Greenwood, and were made by Mr. Faulkner. - Their quality of tone is very sweet and round. The organ sounds very well indeed, and Mr. Faulkner has done his work in a first-class manner. A new platform has been erected in the Church for the organ and choir, and is finished off with a brass rod and blue curtain, the whole making a decided improvement to the appearance of the Church.3

This organ is later referred to in the following correspondence:

At the Presbyterian Church, Port Melbourne there is a small 2 manual English pipe organ for quick sale at £100. I am almost certain it is by Hill although there is no visible name plate.4



Uniting Church, Port Melbourne: Fincham organ
[photograph by John Maidment (13 December 2011)]

The present organ was built in 1925 by Geo. Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd as a memorial and remains unaltered. It was opened on Wed 25 November 1925.5

GREAT
Open Diapason 
Stop Diapason 
Dulciana 
Flauto Traverso 
Swell to Great

SWELL
Open Diapason 
Gedacht 
Salicional 
Clear Flute 

PEDAL
Bourdon 
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal


8
8
8
4



8
8
8
4


16


bass in facade
wood
bass in façade: spotted metal treble
harmonic with conical top pipes



open wood bass
prepared-for
open bass: spotted metal treble
open wood trebles





    

Compass: 61/30
Attached stopkey console
2 thumb pistons to Great
2 thumb pistons to Swell
Balanced swell pedal.6




Uniting Church, Port Melbourne: side view of case and console
[photograph by John Maidment (13 December 2011)]




Uniting Church, Port Melbourne: console detail
[photograph by John Maidment (13 December 2011)]




Uniting Church, Port Melbourne: Great pipework
[photograph by John Maidment (13 December 2011)]




Uniting Church, Port Melbourne: Swell pipework
[photograph by John Maidment (13 December 2011)]




Uniting Church, Port Melbourne: action detail
[photograph by John Maidment (13 December 2011)]

1 The Farmer's Journal and Gardener's Chronicle, 15 June 1864, p.4

2 Standard (Port Melbourne), 23 April 1887, p.3

3 Standard (Port Melbourne), 17 July 1897, p.2

4 L.V.H. Fincham to Revd H.J. Harvey, St John's Church, Sorrento, 29 September 1925

5 Record (Emerald Hill), 28 November 1925, p.3

6 Specification noted by John Maidment 13 December 2011