Historical and Technical Documentation by Patrick Elms and Colin van der Lecq
© OHTA 2012 (last updated May 2012)
St Edmund's Church is constructed of red brick and was consecrated in 1956 by Archbishop Moline. It was designed by Louis R. Williams of Brighton, Victoria and R. Blanchard of Perth and constructed by Harnett & Horner.1
The first organ in this church was built by Charles Dirksen, Brisbane, c1960. With two-manuals, electro-magnetic action and two ranks extended, it was originally installed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, South Perth, then removed in 1970 by Paul Hufner and installed in St Edmunds.2 Following its removal in 1995 it was installed in St Matthew's Anglican Church, Armadale.3
The current organ by William Christmas Mack, Great Yarmouth, UK, 1887 is a two-manual instrument with 15 stops and mechanical action. Originally built for the Primitive Methodist Church, Great Yarmouth, UK, it was installed in St Edmund's, Wembley, WA, in 1993 by parishioners, under the supervision of Dudley Bastian.
A radiating, concave pedalboard replaced the original in 1993. A Great Clarionet 8 was replaced by a Cornopean 8 in 1995. Repairs to all metal pipework to reinstate cone tuning were done by Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd in 2008, along with additional main trunk from bellows to Great chest. The hand blowing system is intact, including drawstop 'Blower', which sounds a pipe mounted on a puffer near the pump handle.4
| GREAT Open Diapason Viol di Gamba Stopped Diapason Principal Lieblich Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Cornopean Swell to Great SWELL Horn Diapason Lieblich Gedact Vaux Angelica Principal Piccolo Hautboy Tremulant PEDAL Bourdon Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal |
8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 8 8 8 8 4 2 8 16 |
Hand blower
Compass: 56/305
Above: Dudley Bastian demonstrating the organ
Photos: Trevor Bunning (May 2012)
1 Website http://www.wembley.perth.anglican.org/ accessed 27 November 2011
2 1970 Gazetteer Notes: Bob Elms
3 Website http://www.oswa.org.au/WAOrgans/WembleyStEdmund.html accessed 27 November 2011
4 Website http://www.oswa.org.au/WAOrgans/WembleyStEdmund.html accessed 27 November 2011
5 Organ Society of W.A. web site http://www.oswa.org.au/WAOrgans/WembleyStEdmunds.html accessed 29 November 2011