Welcome to the Organ Historical Trust of Australia
A warm welcome is extended to all those interested in finding out about the pipe organ in Australia and becoming enthused about our country's remarkable organ heritage. This site contains a great deal about the Organ Historical Trust of Australia (OHTA) - its projects, research, publications, awards, appeals, conservation standards and conferences - as well as providing information about whom to contact for information about the relocation of redundant pipe organs.
An enormous amount of research and fieldwork has enabled us to build an ever-growing online database about pipe organs in Australia, including scholarly histories, technical specifications and photographs.
Steven Kaesler OAM
Chair
Organs of Australia
Many of our instruments have been documented with histories, specifications and photos.
Details will be found in the "Organs of Australia" section.
Membership
To be an effective national preservation organisation, OHTA needs your financial support as well as your advice, interest and participation. Read more on how to become a member, which includes a subscription to our journal, OHTA News.
Conferences
Our conferences are an excellent way to get to know our heritage of historical instruments intimately. Here are links to the photos and documentation of the organs visited during our conferences.
Current restoration appeals
A large number of successful organ restorations have been carried out throughout Australia over the years, ranging in size from the colossus in the Sydney Town Hall, to small chamber organs with but a handful of stops. Read more about fundraising and the current organ restoration appeals.
Redundant organs
View the list of redundant pipe organs in Australia for which new homes are currently being sought. The information of these redundant organs, where possible, will be linked to an existing page on the OHTA website.
Recent news
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Redundant Organs – September 2023
The following details have been added to the Redundant Organs list: Katoomba Uniting (Methodist) Church, Katoomba, NSW Built 1915 Charles Richardson for Congregational Church, Katoomba. Installed present location 1972 by S.T. Noad & Son. Restored with tonal alterations 1980 by J.W. Walker & Sons (Aust). 2 manuals, 10 speaking stops, manual action […]
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Redundant Organs – March 2023
The following details have been added to the Redundant Organs list: Church of Christ, La Trobe Terrace, Geelong Built by John Courcelle, London, 1858; restored by Geo. Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd 1998 1 manual, 6 speaking stops, pedal pulldowns, mechanical key and stop action
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OHTA 2023 CONFERENCE — ALBURY, NSW
The 2023 conference (OCTOBER 2-6, 2023), the first full-scale event conducted by OHTA since 2019, will be based in Albury, NSW which is located on the border between New South Wales and Victoria. The city is easily accessible by road, train, bus or air. Read the update on the conferences […]
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Redundant Organs – July 2022
The following details have been added to the Redundant Organs list: ‘Wanganella’, Camberwell, Victoria 2 manuals, six ranks plus Mixture extended, electro-magnetic action, attached stopkey console
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