St Andrew's Uniting (former Presbyterian) Church
Maryborough
B 1910 Frederick Taylor; reb 1959 Geo Fincham & Sons;
inst present loc c1983 from former Methodist Church, Maryborough
Geo Fincham & Sons.
2m, 19spst, 7c, elpn. Gt: 8.8.8.8.4.4.2. Sw: 8.8.8.8.4.4.8. Ped: 16.8.8.5-1/3.4.
The organ was built in 1910 by Frederick Taylor, of Hawthorn, for the Methodist Church, Maryborough, a polychromatic brick building whose foundation stone was laid on June 1886. Here it was placed in a chamber at the front of the church. The casework, with two outer towers and central flat, is identical in design to that of the Alfred Fuller organ that was in the Congregational Church, Dawson Street, Ballarat, raising the question whether the case was made by Fuller for another instrument, or whether it is simply a copy. The façade pipes were stencilled and the stopkey console (with Taylor’s typical stopkeys) placed in front of the organ.
The instrument originally had two manuals, 15 speaking stops, five couplers and tubular-pneumatic action. The action was electrified in 1959 by George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd and a new detached console supplied. Apart from some minor pedal extensions, the Taylor tonal scheme survived without alteration. At some stage, the pipe decoration was painted out and the pipes refinished in gold.
After the formation of the Uniting Church, the former Methodist Church property was sold and the organ moved around 1983 by George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd to the former Presbyterian Church, built from 1860 in bluestone, which is now the Uniting Church, Maryborough.
GREAT |
8 8 8 8 4 4 2 8 8 8 8 4 4 8 16 8 8 5-1/3 4 |
TC A B A A B |
Compass: 61/30
Detached stop key console
Electro-pneumatic action
Postcard photo Methodist Church, Maryborough c. 1910 (JRM)
Photos: Bruce Duncan (Oct. 2008)
Two photos above [JRM] showing the organ in the Methodist Church,
Maryborough before its move to the former Presbyterian Church
John Maidment
22 October 2008