St Peter’s College, Hackney – War Memorial Hall - exterior
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by Steve Kaesler and John Maidment
© OHTA, 2019 (last updated October 2019)
St Peter’s College, Hackney – War Memorial Hall - exterior
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
Historical and Technical Documentation by Steve Kaesler and John Maidment
© OHTA, 2019 (last updated October 2019)
St Peter’s College was founded in 1847 and moved to its present site in 1854.1 It includes a fine collection of stone buildings in the Gothic style. It is the oldest and most prestigious Anglican school in South Australia.
The foundation stone of the War Memorial Hall at St Peter’s College was laid on 25 September 1921.2 The architects were Alfred Wells & Kaines, the building had a seating capacity of 1,300 persons and the estimated cost was £70,000.3 The building was finally opened on 22 September 1929.4 Following a serious fire in 1985, the interior of the hall was remodelled and galleries installed. The architects were the Brown Falconer Group and the building was reopened in 1989.
St Peter’s College, Hackney – War Memorial Hall – interior showing the console at floor level
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
The organ was built by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Tonawanda, NY for the Regent Theatre in Adelaide. The instrument was shipped on 21 June 1928, and was the firm’s opus 1896, style 260SP.5 Costing £24,000, the instrument was opened on 22 September 1928 by the US organists Mr & Mrs Raymond de Clemens.6 The organ was installed at St Peter’s College in 1968 by J.E. Dodd Gunstar Organ Works without essential alteration in chambers high up on either side of the proscenium, with shutters visible from the gallery. Following the 1985 fire, the shutter fronts, cabling and console required restoration. 200 pipes were found to be stolen and were replaced with identical pipework from the United States.
The instrument, built upon the extension principle, has 15 ranks. A Mixture was added in 1988 check by George Stephens.
The ranks are as follows:
| MAIN CHAMBER Ophicleide / Tuba Horn Diaphone / Diaphonic Diapason Bourdon / Flute Viol d’Orchestre Viol Celeste Clarinet Vox Humana Mixture Chrysoglott |
16 16 16 8 8 8 8 IV |
added 1988 George Stephens |
|
| SOLO CHAMBER Trumpet Tibia Clausa Saxophone Oboe Horn String Quintadena Orchestral Oboe Kinura Marimba Harp Mandolin Cathedral chimes Xylophone Sleigh bells Glockenspiel |
8 16 8 8 8 8 8 8 |
substituted for original Krumet 8 |
|
Snare drum Piano (unenclosed)7 |
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Peter%27s_College,_Adelaide accessed 21 May 2019
2 Observer, 10 September 1921, p.29
3 Register, 14 December 1927, p.10
4 News, 20 September 1929, p.8
5 http://www.theatreorgans.com
6 News, 24 September 1928, p.10
7 http://theatreorgans.com/southerncross/Specifications/Regent%20Ad%20Op%201896.htm for specification, accessed 24 May 2019
St Peter’s College, Hackney – War Memorial Hall - console
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
St Peter’s College, Hackney – War Memorial Hall – console detail
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2019)]
St Peter’s College Memorial Hall, Hackney – console detail
[photographs by Simon Colvin (October 2019)]
St Peter’s College Memorial Hall, Hackney – chapel on left
[photograph by Simon Colvin (October 2019)]