Pipe Organs in WA
 
 
 
 
 

Chapel of St Michael the Archangel, West Leederville
The pipe organs of Western Australia
















Property
Name of institution   Catholic Education Centre
Previously Home of the Good Shepherd
Type of institution0   Education Development Centre
Street Address   50 Ruislip Street
City   Leederville
State   Western Australia
Postcode   6007
Country   Australia
Name of building   Chapel of St Michael the Archangel
Name of room   Chapel
Dates of the building   1938
Register of Heritage Places   To be assessed 28/03/2003
Heritage Place number   08880
Architect   Richard Joseph Dennehy
Builder  

Special architectural features and fittings   The buildings which comprise the Catholic Education Centre were established in stages from 1903 to the 1920s by the Good Shepherd Sisters. Built of brick and Cottesloe stone, the building was first occupied on 21 September 1904.3

The Chapel of St Michael the Archangel was built in 1938 in the neo-Gothic architectural style to accommodate the seating of seventy nuns.

In 1957 the Sisters removed the beautiful stained glass window on the first floor for ventilation purposes. The damaged window was stored under the Chapel for some years, then given to an antique dealer in York. The dealer kept it for 33 years until it was recognised by the Principal at New Norcia College (Sr Marie-Therese Flemming sgs) in 1990, who believed it belonged to the Good Shepherd Convent at Leederville.

The antique dealer had actually restored the window for sale in 1989. The window was purchased by Michael King on behalf of the Catholic Education Office. After purchase and repair, the stained glass window was restored to its original place in 1991.

Other location information   The magnificent grounds of the Catholic Education Centre are an essential part of the heritage value of the complex. The existing gardens to the south side are one of a handful of largely intact Edwardian gardens in Perth.

Den

Name of contact  
Mailing Address  
Telephone  
Email  
Other contact information  

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Previous organ(s)
Date of previous organ   None
Detail of previous organ  
Dates when key work has been undertaken  
Dates of any moves that have taken place  
Variations from original design of organ  
Information on previous organ  
Information about comparable instruments to previous organ  
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Present organ
Type of installation   Freestanding

Case description   Divided case with two symetrical pipefronts rising to the centre

Placement in room   Transept gallery

Builder's name   J.E. Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works, Adelaide.

Opus number  

Date of completion/installation   1964

Construction materials  

Number of manuals   Two (2)

Key compasses   CC-ccc

Number of keys   61

Key material  

Pedal compass   CC-f

Number of pedals   30

Pedalboard type   Concave radiating

Pedalboard material  

Type of chests  

Type of key action   Electro-magnetic

Type of stop action   Electro-magnetic

Couplers   Swell Sub Octave
Swell Super Octave
Swell to Great
Swell to Great Sub
Swell to Great Super
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal

Tremulants   Swell

Accessories   

Console type   Remote console, stopkeys

Stop label material  

Placement  

General design  

Playing aids   Three settable capture pistons per manual division with under-key pistons, duplicated to toe studs

Divisions   Great, Swell, Pedal

Wind pressures  

Stop list  
GREAT
Open Diapason 8' A
Claribel 8' B
Gedact 8' C
Dulciana 8' D
Principal 4' A
Clear Flute 4' C
Fifteenth 2' A
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SWELL
Lieblich Bourdon 16' E
Violin Diapason 8' F
Lieblich Gedact 8' E
Dulciana 8' D
Octave 4' F
Lieblich Flute 4' E
Dulcet 4' F
Piccolo 2' E
Oboe 8' G
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PEDAL
Bourdon 16' E
Echo 16' F
Bass Flute 8' E
Dolce 8' F
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Total number of stops   20

Total number of ranks   7
Base ranks are:
Bourdon
Diapason
Claribel
Gedact
Dulciana
Violin Diapason
Oboe


Total number of pipes  

Dates when key work has been undertaken on current organ  

Dates of any moves that have taken place to current organ   None

Information on current organ  

Comparable instruments to current organ  

Assessment of organ and current status   In excellent condition and regularly used

Other organs by this builder   There are several organs by J E Dodd in Western Australia. Please refer to Western Australian Organs Builders Index

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Document control Original entries J R Elms, OAM, Gazetteer of Western Australian Pipe Organs, 1971, 1999, 2003 and 2004.
This entry D B Duncan 26 Jan 2009.
Photos of the building from Gordon Stewart
Newspaper clipping provided by John Lane 22 Mar 2018.
Photographs and stoplist from Boyd Peters 11 Nov 2021.