AN UPDATED LIST OF ORGANS BUILT BY ALFRED FULLER, 1880-1898
Graeme Rushworth
(updated by John Maidment and Geoffrey Cox)Last updated May 2018
This list was compiled originally by Graeme Rushworth and appended to his article "Alfred Fuller, Melbourne 19th-century organ builder: his Life and Works" in OHTA News, vol. 6, no. 4 (October 1982). Rushworth's list was updated and expanded by John Maidment and Geoffrey Cox, and published in OHTA News, vol. 43, no. 1 (January 2018). Relevant newspaper and other references for each organ have been added, and hyperlinks provided to relevant details elsewhere.
1880 Melbourne, International Exhibition of 1880-81; 3/33/7/m.
Installed Presbyterian Church, Toorak, 1881, price £960. Rebuilt with tubular-pneumatic action by Geo. Fincham & Sons 1926. Remained in apse of the church until 1940, when it was divided and placed in new cases to either side of the south transept. Removed, rebuilt and installed 1980 St Leonard's School, Brighton, by Laurie Pipe Organs.
References:
The Illustrated Australian News (6 Nov 1880), p. 211.
1881 Wesleyan Church, Forest Street, Bendigo.
Enlargement of an existing organ built as a single-manual instrument by George Fincham in 1867, to which a Swell had already been added in 1873. 2/15/3?/m
References:
The Bendigo Advertiser (4 October 1881), p. 2.
1881 Residence of A.H. Barlow, Ipswich, Queensland; 2/14/4/m.
Removed 1882 to Central Congregational Church, Ipswich; rebuilt and enlarged 1887 B.B. Whitehouse for Queensland Organ, Piano and Music Warehouse Co., Brisbane; Rebuilt and enlarged 1935 Whitehouse Bros, Brisbane; destroyed by fire 1953.
References:
The Queensland Times (19 August 1882) p. 3.
The Brisbane Courier (7 January 1887), p. 6.
1882 Bendigo, St Andrew's Presbyterian Church; 2/13/3/m.
Opened 12 May 1882; Price £361; Rebuilt 1959 by Hill, Norman & Beard; now 2/29/9/ep.
References:
The Bendigo Advertiser (4 May1882), p. 2.
The Bendigo Advertiser (10 May1882), p. 3.
The Argus (12 May 1882), p. 7.
1882 Bendigo, Wesleyan Church, Long Gully; 2/12/3/m.
Opened 17 November 1882; Rebuilt and enlarged 1904 by B.C. Pentreath to 2/15/3/m; Restored 1982 by Laurie Pipe Organs.
References:
The Bendigo Advertiser (8 November 1882), p. 3.
1883 Bendigo, St Paul's Anglican Church; 2/22/m.
Rebuilt 1957 by Hill, Norman & Beard; now 3/39/15/ep.
References:
The Bendigo Advertiser (30 April 1883), p. 2.
1884 East Melbourne, Cairns Memorial Presbyterian Church; 2/22/3/m.
Rebuilt 1915 by Geo. Fincham & Son; rebuilt 1949 by Hill, Norman & Beard; 2/26/8/ep: destroyed by fire 1988.
References:
The Age (6 October 1884), p. 5.
The Argus (6 October 1884), p. 3.
1884 Kew, Independent (Congregational) Church; 2/16/3/m.
Opened 1 May 1884; Case design by F.J. Smart of Reed, Henderson & Smart. Removed 1891; Installed 1893 Brighton Methodist Church; Rebuilt 1968 Laurie Pipe Organs; Removed 2016 to St Brendan's Church, Flemington.
References:
The Victorian Independent and Journal of the Congregational Church, vol. 15, no. 171 (June 1884), p. 88.
The Oakleigh Leader (18 March 1893), p. 4.
1885 South Melbourne, Independent (Congregational) Church; 2/10/3/m.
Restored and removed 1970 to St John's Lutheran Church, Pella, Victoria by Hill, Norman & Beard; Original condition.
References:
The Argus (28 March 1885), p. 9.
1885 Melbourne, Baptist Church, Collins Street; 3/32/7/m.
Organ opened 31 August, price £1,200, case design by Reed, Henderson & Smart, pipes decorated by Robert Reid. Rebuilt 1939 by W.L. Roberts; rebuilt 1957 by Geo. Fincham & Sons; rebuilt 1976 by Laurie Pipe Organs; now 3/47/8/ep.
References:
The Argus (6 August 1885), p. 6.
The Argus (14 August 1885), p. 4.
1886 Fitzroy, St Brigid's Catholic Church; 2/16/3/m.
Opened 24 July. Restored 1970 by Geo. Fincham & Sons. Original condition.
References:
The Age (21 July 1886), p. 4.
1887 Hotham (North Melbourne), Methodist Church; 2/20/3/m.
Opened 3 March 1887. Removed 1936 to Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Kensington; removed c.1975 to St John's Lutheran Church, Geelong. Original condition, apart from changes to stop labels, case panelling and overpainting of façade pipes.
References:
The Age (7 March 1887), p. 5.
1887 East Melbourne, Unitarian Church, Cathedral Place; 2/14/m.
Casework simplified and façade pipes overpainted. Removed and rebuilt 1965 by Kilner's Piano Works for St James' Presbyterian Church, Wattle Park. Now 2/14/6/ep.
References:
The Argus (18 July 1887), p. 10.
1888 Ballarat, Independent (Congregational) Church; 2/17/4/m.
Price £600. Near original condition. Removed 1982 to St Mark's Catholic Church, Fawkner.
References:
The Ballarat Star (27 March 1888), p. 2.
1888 Brunswick, Independent (Congregational) Church; 2/13/3/m.
Purchased and removed 1966 by K. Falconer. Altered and being rebuilt at private residence of Ken Falconer, Dromana, Vic.
References:
The Victorian Independent, vol. 19 (August 1888), p. 148.
1889 Brunswick, Christ Church Anglican Church; 2/m.
Price £400. Opened 28 November 1889. Rebuilt 1934 by Hill, Norman & Beard to 2/11/8/tp. Removed 1972 by Hill, Norman & Beard and broken up.
References:
The Church of England Messenger (6 December 1889), p. 211
1890 Minyip, St John's Lutheran Church; 1/5/pp/m.
Opened January 1890. Restored 1977 by L. Turner. Original condition.
1890 Echuca, St Mary's Catholic Church; 2/10/4/m.
Opened 25 May 1890. Removed 1970 to Redemptorist Fathers Monastery, Ballarat. Removed 1998 to St John's Catholic Church, Heidelberg, and restored by Wakeley Pipe Organs. Original condition.
References:
The Advocate (31 May 1890, pp. 16-17.
Ovens and Murray Advertiser (31 May 1890), p. 10.
1891 Kew, Independent (Congregational) Church; 3/19/4/m.
Price £750. Opened 19 February 1891. Rebuilt 1962 by Hill, Norman & Beard to 2/17/9/ep. Removed 1976 to Lutheran Church, Mount Barker, South Australia and rebuilt by L. Waters.
1891 Fitzroy, Independent (Congregational) Church.
Addition of Swell of four stops (plus one spare slider) to William Anderson organ, price £145 10s. Organ removed to Catholic Ladies' College Chapel, East Melbourne; sold 1970 to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Ringwood; rebuilt with tonal alterations and new mechanical action by parishioners.
1894: Two Organs Advertised for Sale in 1894. These instruments may possibly be the same as some of those listed below.
CHURCH ORGAN, new, two-manuals, pedals, 1000 pipes;
Beautiful instrument; inspection invited.
Alfred Fuller, organ builder, Kew.
References:
The Age (21 April 1894), p. 7.CHURCH ORGANS, new, two-manual, 1000 pipes;
also, two manual, pedals, secondhand; £120,
cheap. Alfred Fuller, organ builder, Kew.
References:
The Argus (6 June 1894), p. 8.
1895: Ballarat, United Methodist Free Church, South Street; 2/10/3/m.
Opened 5 April. Subsequent history unknown.
References:
The Ballarat Star (29 March 1895), p. 2.
The Ballarat Star (5 April 1895), p. 2.
The Ballarat Star (6 April 1895), p. 4.
The Ballarat Star (8 April 1895), p. 3.
1896 Heidelberg, St John's Anglican Church; 2/10/4/m.
Opened 17 December. Rebuilt 1965 by Laurie Pipe Organs to 2/16/9/ep. Fuller's action, console and casework removed.
References:
E.N. Matthews, Colonial Organs and Organ Builders, p. 137.
1897: Fremantle, Scots Presbyterian Church; 2/10/4/m.
Restored 1990 F.J. Larner & Co. Original condition.
References:
Western Mail (11 June 1897), p. 30.
1897 (installed 1900): Bendigo, Methodist (Uniting) Church, Mackenzie Street.
Apparently Fuller's enlargement of an earlier barrel and finger organ from St John's Anglican Church, Heidelberg. Installed 1900 at this location; Installed 1999 at Terrill Residence, Heathcote; Installed 2012 at St Philip's Catholic Church, Blackburn. 2/9/3/m. Original condition.
References:
OHTA News, vol. 31, no. 3 (July 2007), p. 3.
1898 Essendon, St John's Presbyterian Church; 2/14/3/m.
Price £375. Rebuilt 1927 and 1967 by Geo. Fincham & Sons, to 21/30/10/ep.
References:
E.N. Matthews, Colonial Organs and Organ Builders, p. 132.
UNDATED Gardenvale, St James', Catholic Church; 2/12/3/m.
Apparently a partially completed organ by Fuller, incorporated into an instrument installed in 1902 by William Anderson. Renovated 1981 by John Parker. Original condition apart from addition of pedal Open Diapason 16ft and Trumpet unit 1981 by John Parker. Restored 2001 Stewart Organs. Destroyed by fire, March 2015.
References:
The Advocate (5 July 1902), p. 17.
John Stiller, Documentation of Pipe Organ by Alfred Fuller 1891 (OHTA, May 1980).
Observations by Ken Falconer of Stewart Organs (on OHTA website).
SOME FULLER NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE 1890s
1890
FRENCHPOLISHER wanted.
Alfred Fuller, organ builder, High Street, Kew.
Reference:
The Age (7 July 1890), p. 8.
1896
FRENCHPOLISHER, first class, wanted.
Alfred Fuller, organ builder, 8 and 10 High Street, Kew.
Reference:
The Age (22 January 1896), p. 8.CARVER, wood, wanted. At once.
Alfred Fuller, organ builder, 8 High-st, Kew.
Reference:
The Age (4 May 1896), p. 8.FRENCHPOLISHER. Wanted Lad, used to French-polishing, quality.
Alfred Fuller, organ builder, 8 High-st, Kew.
Reference:
The Age (2 June 1896), p. 8.FRENCHPOLISHER, wanted, good, at once.
Alfred Fuller, organ builder, 8 High-st, Kew.
Reference:
The Age (3 June 1896), p. 8.