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Cathedral
Organs 1850-1900
| 1865 |
Fire engulfed St Mary's,
totally destroying the Bevington
organ. A wooden building was
quickly built to serve as a
pro-cathedral and an orchestra
was used to accompany the choir
on Sundays. It was proposed to
also use an harmonium but public
outcry was so great that a small
organ was purchased from T V
Bridson, a local organ builder.
It was first used on Sunday 19
November. (Note: The Bevington
organ was the largest organ in
Australia at that time. Since its
destruction in the Great Fire the
Cathedral never had an adequate
instrument until 1999, when the
new Létourneau organ was
installed.)
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| 1869 |
A second fire destroyed the
temporary cathedral, together
with the organ and all the
choir's music scores. |
| 1871 |
A "Grand Oratorio"
was organised to raise funds for
a new cathedral organ. The organ,
by Charles James Jackson, was in
its design the most ambitious
attempt of any Australian organ
builder up to that time. As
completed, it contained 24 ranks
distributed through two manuals
and pedals. |
| 1874 |
Only 14 or 15 ranks of the
Jackson organ were installed when
it was first used in the
pro-cathedral in 1874. |
| 1881 |
With the walls almost
completed a fund was established
for the construction of a new and
appropriate Cathedral organ.
Major donors included Sir Patrick
Jennings (who also gave 1100
pounds for the organ in the Great
Hall, Sydney University) and
William McQuade (who had in his
own home at the time the large
three manual organ now in St
Bridget's Church, Marrickville).
Unfortunately, no action was
taken on a set of three
quotations for the installation
of a three manual organ at prices
ranging from 1640 to 2295 pounds.
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| 1882 |
At the opening of the new
Cathedral in September, the half
completed Jackson organ was
removed from the pro-cathedral
and installed in the organ
chamber in the East Transept.
This organ, completed largely
through the fundraising efforts
of Neville Barnett (Cathedral
Organist 1888-1895) remained in
use in the cathedral for another
60 years. It was given in part
payment for the Chancel Organ to
Mr R W Sharp. |
| 1896 |
The organ was moved to make
way for the altar of St Patrick,
and finally erected in a
temporary gallery erected against
the southern wall of the half
completed nave. |
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1900-1976 COMING SON
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