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The Pipe Organ in St. Augustine's Anglican Church, Hamilton


The Swell side facade


This Whitehouse Bros. instrument dates from 1958, when it was installed around the War Memorial window on the West Gallery, necessitating division into two towers with a central console facing them. The illustration above shows that on the Swell side.

In 1988, work including the addition of a Principal 4ft and Fifteenth 2ft, previously part of St. John's Cathedral organ, was undertaken by Simon.

An extended period of restoration more recently has seen the releathering of the bellows which has made an improvement to the sound. All soundboards have been fitted with new polypel puffers and a new silent Laukhuff blower has been provided and is housed in a new blower box. This has made a dramatic difference in the volume and clarity of sound as well as improving the action response.

The rebuild includes an overhaul of the console as well as the addition of new pipework incuding a Swell Mixture II, a Trumpet 8’and Clarabella 8’ on the Great together with general tonal work. There has been a general lowering of the wind-pressure but the projection of the sound into the building has improved. The original Great 4' & 2' have been returned and installed in St John's Cathedral and, respectively, the 1970 Hill, Norman & Beard stops (which were of of a smaller scaling) installed into St Augustine's. All these new stops give the organ a greater variety and blend of tone and colours. The new action on the soundbords have made it even more responsive.The result has given this organ a new lease of life!



Specification

GREAT


Open Diapason	8'
Clarabella		8'
Dulciana		8'
Principal		4'
Stopped Flute	4'
Nazard 		2 2/3'
Fifteenth		2'
Trumpet 		8'

SWELL (enclosed)

Violin Diapason	8' 
Echo Gamba		8' 
Lieblich Gedact	8' 
Gemshorn		4'
Piccolo		2'
Mixture 		II
Cornopean		8'
Oboe		8'
Tremulant	

PEDAL

Open Bass		16'
Bourdon 		16'
Bass Flute		 8'

COUPLERS

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

BACKTOP

WJ Simon Pierce Organbuilder
PO Box 7027
Hemmant
Qld 4174  Australia
www.piercepipeorgans.com
Email: WJSIMONPIERCE@bigpond.com
Phone/Fax: (07) 3390 5821

Last updated 1 November, 2006