| Name of institution |
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Type of institution |
Church |
| Street Address |
Victoria Square |
| City |
Perth |
| State |
Western Australia |
| Postcode |
6000
|
| Country |
Australia |
| Name of building |
St. Mary's Cathedral |
| Name of room |
Church
|
| Dates of the building |
1863-1865 |
| Architect’s and builder’s names |
|
| Special architectural features |
The nave of St Mary's Cathedral was commenced under Bishop Serra and Brother Ascione and opened in 1863.
The transepts and sanctuary, in a spacious Perpendicular Gothic idiom,
were built in sandstone in 1925-26 to the design of Cavanagh &
Cavanagh. Michael Cavanagh had been born in Victoria in 1860,
studied at the Adelaide School of Art and was studying in England
1887-88, starting his practice in Adelaide in 1891 and moving to Perth
by 1898 (the year when he was elected FRIBA) where he was in
partnership with his brother James Francis.
The Cathedral was built
in Gothic style, but due to Great Depression, World War II and the
aftermath, no funds were available to finish it, resulting in the iron
bars for grafting in the new parts of the nave were still visible until site works commenced on
reconstruction in 2006.
In 1973, the central altar and lectern were added to the sanctuary and the redesigned sanctuary was consecrated on August 12.
In the early 2000's conditions of the cathedral required decisions for
repair and completion of the original concept. At the end of
2005, construction works to extend the cathedral started. |
| Special fittings |
The 1920s work includes
large multi-light windows filled with colourful glass designed and
executed by John Hardman and Company of Birmingham. The sanctuary
and transepts have elaborate plaster vaulting in a Gothic
idiom. The building boasts an outstanding acoustical environment
for organ music. |
| Other location information |
Wesley Church is the oldest Perth City
church in its original form still being used as a place of worship, although
the nave at St Mary’s Cathedral (demolished 2006/7 in readiness for new
construction) would have predated it by four years.
|
| Name of contact |
|
| Mailing Address |
Cathedral Presbytery: 17 Victoria Square, Perth WA 6000 |
| Telephone |
08 9223 1350 |
| Email |
cathedral@perthcatholic.org.au |
| Other contact information |
|
| . |
|
| Date of previous organs |
None |
| Detail of previous organs |
|
| Dates when key work has been undertaken |
|
| Dates of any moves that have taken place |
|
| Variations from original design of organ |
|
| Information on previous organs |
|
| Information about comparable instruments to previous
organs |
|
| . |
|
| Present organ |
|
| Type of installation |
|
| Case description |
|
| Placement in room |
|
| Builder's name |
J E Dodd |
| Opus number |
|
| Date of completion/installation |
1910 |
| Construction materials |
|
| Number of manuals |
Three (3) |
| Key compasses |
|
| Number of keys |
61 |
| Key material |
|
| Pedal compass |
|
| Number of pedals |
30 |
| Pedalboard type |
|
| Pedalboard material |
|
| Type of chests |
|
| Type of key action |
Electro-pneumatic |
| Type of stop action |
Electro-pneumatic |
| Couplers |
12 couplers
|
| Tremulants |
Swell, Choir |
| Accessories |
|
| Console type |
Detached stopkey (horseshoe) console
|
| Stop label material |
|
| Placement |
|
| General design |
|
| Playing aids |
|
| Divisions |
Great, Swell, Choir, Positive, Pedal |
| Wind pressures |
|
| Stop list |
| GREAT |
|
|
|
| Violone |
16' |
|
A |
| Open Diapason |
8' |
Dodd 1910
|
|
| Melodic Diapason |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Clarabel |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Gamba |
8' |
|
A |
| Gedact |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Dulciana |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Principal |
4' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Gamba |
4' |
|
A |
| Harmonic Flute |
4' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Twelfth |
2-2/3' |
|
A |
| Super Octave |
2' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Gamba |
2' |
|
A |
| Gamba |
1-3/5' |
|
A |
| Mixture 15.19.22 |
III |
|
|
| Trumpet |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
B |
| Tuba |
8' |
|
H |
| Closed Horn |
8' |
|
G |
| Clarion |
4' |
Dodd 1910 |
B |
|
|
|
|
| SWELL |
|
|
|
| Geigen Diapason |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Hohl Flute |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Viole d'Orchestre |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Vox Angelica II |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Octave |
4' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Flauto Traverso |
4' |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Super Octave |
2' |
|
|
| Mixture 15.19.22 |
III |
Dodd 1910 |
|
| Double Trumpet |
16' |
|
C |
| Trumpet |
8' |
|
C |
| Oboe |
8' |
|
|
| Clarion |
4' |
|
C |
Tremulant
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| CHOIR |
|
|
|
| Lieblich Gedact |
16' |
Dodd 1910 from Swell |
D |
| Violin Diapason |
8' |
|
E |
| Stopped Diapason |
8' |
|
|
| Gedact |
8' |
Dodd 1910 from Swell |
D |
| Salicional |
8' |
|
F |
| Octave |
4' |
|
E |
| Flute |
4' |
|
D
|
| Salicet |
4' |
|
F |
| Nazard |
2-2/3' |
|
D |
| Piccolo |
2' |
|
D |
| Tierce |
1-3/5' |
|
|
| Closed Horn |
8' |
|
G |
| Clarinet |
8' |
|
|
| Trumpet |
8' |
|
B |
| Tuba |
8' |
|
H |
| Tuba Clarion |
4' |
|
H |
| Tremulant |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| PEDAL |
|
|
|
| Major Bass |
16' |
Dodd 1910 |
I |
| Open Diapason |
16' |
|
|
| Violone |
16' |
|
A |
| Subbass |
16' |
Dodd 1910 |
J |
| Bourdon |
16' |
Dodd 1910 |
D |
| Quint |
10-2/3' |
|
J |
| Principal |
8' |
Dodd 1910 |
I |
| Bass Flute |
8' |
|
J |
| String |
8' |
|
A |
| Salicional |
8' |
|
F |
| Octave Quint |
5-1/3' |
|
J |
| Super Octave |
4' |
|
I |
| Octave Flute |
4' |
|
J |
| Mixture |
IV |
|
|
| Ophicleide |
16' |
Dodd 1910 |
H |
| Double Trumpet |
16' |
|
C |
| Trumpet |
8' |
|
C |
| Clarion |
4' |
|
C |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total number of stops |
65 stops
|
| Total number of ranks |
42 ranks
|
| Total number of pipes |
|
| Dates when key work has been undertaken on current
organ |
Built in 1910 by J. E. Dodd,
Adelaide, as a 2 manual, 27 speaking stop, 5 ccoupler, tubular pneumatic instrument. The stops were:
Gt: 16.8.8.8.8.8.4.4.2.8. Sw:
16.8.8.8.8 II.4.4.III.8.8.8. Ped: 32.16.16.16.8.16.
Rebuilt and enlarged
1963 by J.E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works, to 3 manual, 65 speaking stops.
Organ dismantled and removed from the Cathedral for rebuilding as part of the overal reconstruction of the new Cathedral in 2006 by South Island Organ Company, New Zealand.
|
| Dates of any moves that have taken place to current
organ |
Removed 2006 |
| Information on current organ |
The organ, originally of two manuals, was built in 1910 by J.E. Dodd
and was rated by former organist and noted composer Dr C. Edgar Ford as
"the finest small organ in Australia", its effect complemented by the
astounding acoustic. The instrument was rebuilt and
considerably enlarged in 1964 by J.E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ
Works, Adelaide. New electro-pneumatic action was installed in place
of the original tubular-pneumatic, a new stopkey console supplied, and
the organ resited on a new gallery in the south transept behind a new
case of Gothic design. There is much borrowing and extension on the
Choir and Pedal, but the overall effect of the organ is extremely
impressive, with pipework of excellent quality.
|
| Comparable instruments to current
organ |
Its tonal design was almost identical to the
organ in Wesley Church, Perth. |
| Current status |
Dismantled for rebuilding in the new cathedral. |
| Assessment of organ |
|
| Other organs by this builder |
|
| Photographs |
Photograph of church prior to 2006 from Wickipedia
Photographs of organ by Pastór de Lasala, Mark Quarmby, and Bruce Duncan
Archive photographs from the Western Mail newspaper
|
| Technical documents |
Details of the organ from OHTA Conference Book 2004.
Complete specification researched by Patrick Elms |
| General documents |
Newspaper cuttings about the dedication of the organ:
|
| . |
|
| Supporting information |
|
| . |
|
| Document control |
Original entries J R Elms, OAM, Gazetteer of Western Australian Pipe Organs, 1971, 1999,2003 and 2004.
This entry D B Duncan 31 December 2008.
Photograph of original organ and newspaper
cuttings about the dedication of the organ from State Library of WA
made available via Andrew Gardner 08 December 2010.
|
