St John's Anglican Church
Port Fairy

Photo: Trevor Bunning (Jan 2011)

 

This imposing cruciform church in bluestone was designed by Nathaniel Billing, a former pupil of Gilbert Scott, and built in 1854-1856, and the first in Victoria with a full chancel. It incorporates a wealth of stone carving by Walter McGill, including the external faces employed as label stops, the corbels of the chancel arch and the font.[1] The tower of 1957 is not in accord with Billing's original design.

The organ was built by Frederick Taylor, of Hawthorn, at a cost of £340, and was opened in September 1909.[2) The instrument remains largely unaltered and was renovated in 1986 by Leighton Turner.

Photo: Trevor Bunning (Jan 2011)

GREAT Open Diapason Clarabella Dulciana Principal Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Swell to Great SWELL Lieblich Bourdon Geigen Principal Lieblich Gedact Gamba Voix Celeste Geigen Principal Suabe Flute Oboe Swell Super Octave Tremulant PEDAL Bourdon Bass Flute Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal

8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 16 8 8 8 8 4 4 8 16 8

inserted after 1966 but initially prepared for prepared for TC initially prepared for but inserted later at 2ft pitch prepared for prepared for A A

compass: 58/30
2 composition pedals to great
2 composition pedals to swell
balanced swell pedal
attached drawknob console
mechanical action to manuals & stops tubular-pneumatic action to pedals [3]
straight flat pedalboard

[1] Victorian Churches: their origins, their story & their architecture, edited by Miles Lewis. East Melbourne: National Trust of Australia (Victoria), 1991, p141
[2] Matthews Colonial Organs & Organbuilders. Carlton: Melbourne University Press, 1969, p.1 75
[3] Specification noted 1966 John Maidment

Three photos above: Trevor Bunning (Jan 2011)

 

 

Photos: JRM May 2006