Fincham Hall
(Former Uniting (Methodist) Church)
Wills Street, Dunkeld
Built c.1873 George Fincham for unknown private client
Installed 1875 Wesleyan Church, Coburg
Installed 1925 J.E. Dodd St Joseph's Catholic Church, Port Melbourne
Restored and installed 2017 present location Australian Pipe Organs Pty Ltd
1 manual, 8 speaking stops, 1 coupler, mechanical and tubular-pneumatic action
Fincham Hall, Dunkeld - exterior
(photograph by John Maidment [26 January 2018])
Historical and Technical Documentation by John Maidment
© OHTA, 2018 (last updated January 2018)
The foundation stone of the Methodist Church, Dunkeld was laid on 16 August 1913 by Mrs G. Taylor. The architects were Clegg, Miller & Cain, of Hamilton, and the builder E.B. Patterson. The church was opened on 17 January 1914. The church has now closed for worship and it has been acquired by Allan and Maria Myers who have carried out essential maintenance work and erected a new wooden platform for the organ. It is proposed that the building and organ be used for concerts and community events. It has been named to honour Australia's pre-eminent organbuilder from the 19th century.
The organ was built by George Fincham. It was opened in May 1875 at the Wesleyan (Methodist) Church, Coburg. It appears to have been built as a residence organ, possibly around 1870-73, with the name of Henry Kemmis inscribed in pencil inside the swell box. An Open Diapason of remnant pipes was later installed, together with a Principal (Dulcet), which Fincham described in 1897 as being of "wretched condition". The use of mahogany for the casework is an unusual choice, maybe chosen to match adjacent furniture in a private residence.
Wesleyan Church, Coburg showing the Fincham organ
(courtesy of the Coburg Historical Society [c.2004])
Organ Specification
| MANUAL | Pitch | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8' Open Diapason | 8ft | 1-12 from Bourdon, non-original, treble using Fincham pipes inserted c.1990 |
| 8' Stopd Diap Bass | 8ft | CC-BB |
| 8' Clarabella | 8ft | TC |
| 8' Dulciana | 8ft | full compass |
| 8' Vox Angelica | 8ft | TC was Gamba 8ft before c.1990, replaced with Fincham pipes |
| 4' Dulcet | 4ft | |
| 4' Flute | 4ft | TC open wood |
| 2' Piccolo | 2ft | open wood, metal top octave |
| Pedal Coupler |
| PEDAL | Pitch |
|---|---|
| 16' Bourdon | 16ft |
Compass: 56/29
Mechanical manual and stop action; tubular-pneumatic pedal action
Trigger swell lever
Attached drawstop console behind sliding doors
Composition pedals may have been removed
6ft wide; 4ft 7 in deep plus 8 in for Bourdon, 10ft 5 ½ in high
Fincham Hall, Dunkeld – console detail
(photograph by Daniel Bittner [22 September 2017])
Fincham Hall, Dunkeld – nameplate and drawstop engraving
(photograph by John Maidment [26 January 2018])
Fincham Hall, Dunkeld – internal pipework
(photograph by John Maidment [12 April 2017])