St Christopher's Catholic Cathedral
Franklin Street, Forrest (Manuka)

1968 Hill, Norman & Beard, installed present location 1972 & enlarged 1973
2 manuals, 28 speaking stops (8 ranks + mixture extended), 3 couplers, electro-magnetic action

Information from Kelvin Hastie, “St Christopher’s Catholic Cathedral, Franklin Street, Manuka”, Capital Organs. Organ Historical Trust of Australia, 24th Annual Conference, 29 September – 4 October 2001. Canberra and South East New South Wales. Conference Booklet (Sydney: Organ Historical Trust of Australia, 2001), pp. 43-44.


St Christopher's was originally part of St Gregory's Parish, Queanbeyan, until 1912. (Queanbeyan was in the archdiocese of Sydney till 1918 when it was transferred to the Diocese of Goulburn on the forming of the diocese of Wagga Wagga). In 1927 a foundation stone for a school-cum-church was laid.

In 1930 a cathedral was proposed for the site behind Regatta Point, but the Depression and World War II made this impractical. In 1928 St Christopher's became an independent parish. In 1948 the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn was created and St Christopher's came to be called a pro-cathedral, even though still a parish church. When Archbishop Eric O'Brien took up residence in Canberra it was called a Co-cathedral with SS Peter and Paul, Goulburn.

The church was extended to twice its size in 1973, holding 1000 worshippers, and was consecrated as the Cathedral Church of the Diocese, superseding SS Peter & Paul. The present pipe organ was built by Hill, Norman & Beard (Melbourne) and was used by St James' Anglican Church, King Street, Sydney, whilst their organ was being rebuilt. Its size was doubled when installed on the gallery 26 September 1972. There are 1100 wood and metal pipes contained in two cases on either side of the rose window.


Peter Jewkes has supplied the following information (23 January 2024) and has added the extension details to the specification below.

It is a slightly tricky specification, and is really either 8 ranks including 2 Mixtures, or 11 ranks if you include the extra Mixture pipes. It isn't 8 ranks extended either, as at least 3 ranks are not extended.

These are the ranks (with some annotations):

GREAT SIDE (New 1973 apart from Open, including matching case. Voiced by John S Parker, Melbourne)

A Open Diapason 8  Was on other side with original organ, outside the Swell box, extended at various pitches
B Rohr Gedeckt 8 

C Principal  4

D Mixture III  19 22 26  61 notes, 183 pipes 

SWELL SIDE (Original factory organ)

E Salicional 8

F Gedeckt 8

G Mixture II  26 29 Rewired from original 19.22 format in 1973. 3 octave compass, due to rewiring now from bottom C to treble C then electrically repeating. 111 pipes  

H Trumpet 8 

GREAT Contra Salicional TC Open Diapason Rohr Gedeckt Principal Nason Flute Quint Fifteenth Mixture 19.22.26. Trumpet SWELL Salicional Gedeckt Fugara Lieblich Flute Block Flute Larigot Octavin Mixture 26.29. Trumpet Tremulant PEDAL Sub Bass Octave Flute Salicional Super Octave Octave Flute Nachthorn Mixture Trumpet Clarion COUPLERS Swell to Great Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal

16 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 III 8 8 8 4 4 2 1-1/3 1 II 8 16 8 8 8 4 4 2 III 8 4

E A B C B B C D F E G E G G G E H F B A B E C B B? D F F

[1] Information supplied by Geoff Wells, February, 2001.

Photos supplied by Trevor Bunning (April 2006)

Detached console in the gallery


Great side façade pipes


Swell Pipework


Great Pipework


Photos supplied by Trevor Bunning (May 2007)