For those who were wondering…

Pipe Organ by Alfred Fuller 1897 – St. Philip’s Church Blackburn North

Possibly incorporating pipework and casework from organ at St John’s Anglican Church, Heidelberg; installed 1900 Methodist Church, Mackenzie Street, Bendigo. Removed 1999 & installed in private residence Heathcote by Wakeley Pipe Organs. Installed in St. Philip’s Catholic Church Blackburn North September 2012 by Wakeley Pipe Organs. 2 manuals, 9 speaking stops, 3 couplers, tracker action.

The pipe organ came from the Mackenzie Street Uniting Church in Bendigo. It was installed in this former Methodist Church in October 1900 and used continuously until the church closed its doors in 1997. The instrument was removed from the church building on 2 March 1999 by Wakeley Pipe Organs.

The instrument was built by Alfred Fuller, of Kew, Melbourne, who sold it to the church after having built it in his workshop between 1897 and 1900. A card found in the swell windchest had the inscription ‘Alfred Fuller and Son / 29/9/97 Kew / Melbourne’. 1 In the dismantling process it was evident that the great soundboard and pipework were much older than the swell soundboard, pipework, console and action. Investigations revealed that Fuller traded in a pipe organ and installed a new one at St John’s Anglican Church, Heidelberg that was opened on 8 January 1896. The Great soundboard is most likely from the earlier organ at Heidelberg. George Fincham described this organ in 1879 as a single manual instrument with four stops: Open Diapason metal 44 pipes, Stopped Diapason wood 56 pipes, Principal 4 56 pipes, Fifteenth 2 56 pipes, enclosed in mahogany case with gilt speaking pipes in front. 2 The origins of this instrument date back to a three-cylinder rotating barrel organ installed in the church in 1852 and rebuilt by Fincham in 1873 who installed a keyboard with action and extra pipes. 3

The minutes of the Mackenzie Street Methodist Church of 15 August 1900 state:

“That we obtain the Pipe Organ offered by A. Fuller, if he will take the £150 and alter the Cornopean stop to some other, say Gamba or Keraulophon. N.B. This is to be erected in the Church complete for the amount stated.” 4

As an historical aside, the minutes of 20 January 1901 state: “That the Organ Blower be paid 6/6d per quarter.”

To the older nucleus, Fuller extended the case laterally and provided two five-pipe towers at floor level. Additional case posts and a distinctive frieze of Gothic arches above the console were supplied, the latter closed by a folding lid. The lateral towers are very much a signature of his work and three other examples may be found in the organs he built for St Mary’s Catholic Church, Echuca 1890 (now at St John’s Catholic Church, Heidelberg), St John’s Anglican Church, Heidelberg 1896 (rebuilt and altered in the 1960s) and Scots Presbyterian Church, Fremantle 1897. The action, console, wind system and swell box are Fuller’s work. A characteristic feature of his work is the two wind indicators enclosed within glass panels, one at the console and a second at the rear of the organ, for the blower.

This was the last organ to come from Fuller’s Kew workshop before he retired from organbuilding and went into real estate with his son. He died on 10 June 1923 and left an estate valued at £15,154/6/11, a very considerable sum for the time. 5

The 1999 restoration work by Wakeley Pipe Organs Pty Ltd, of Lilydale, Victoria (in accordance with the OHTA Pipe Organ Conservation & Maintenance Guide) involved the repairing of the great soundboard and the cabinet work; the pipework was attended to and regulated where necessary.

A citation from the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) reads:

“A two-manual organ of nine speaking stops built by Alfred Fuller, of Kew, believed to date from the end of Fuller’s organbuilding career about 1900. The instrument retains its original action, console and pipework and is a rare intact example of its builder’s work and of note for its diminutive size.”

The specification follows:

GREAT ORGAN Open Diapason 8 Stop Diapason 8 Principal 4 Fifteenth 2 Swell to Great

SWELL ORGAN Gedact 8 Viol da Gamba 8 Dulciana 8 Suabe Flute 4 Tremulant

PEDAL ORGAN Bourdon 16

Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Compass: 56/30 Lever swell pedal 2 composition pedals to Great Mechanical key and stop action Attached drawknob console Hand blowing Wind indicators set in glass boxes at console and at rear 6

1. Inscription noted by Ian Wakeley 2. George Fincham & Sons letter books 3/98, to Revd Rockfort Forlong 3. E.N. Matthews, “Old Barrel Organ”, The Age, 31 July 1965 4. Noted by Howard Terrill 5. See: “Alfred Fuller”, OHTA News, vol.31, no.3 (July 2007), p.3 6. Specification noted John Maidment 1966, 2008

Rev. Father Nicholas T. J. Dillon Parish Priest St. Philip’s Parish 60 Junction Road Blackburn North VIC 3130

Donations may be sent to the address above marked ” ORGAN APPEAL “