Sydney Town Hall Grand Organ

The Grand Organ

The Sydney Town Hall Grand Organ is a large pipe organ built by English firm William Hill & Son in 1890. It is located in the Centennial Hall of Sydney Town Hall in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.^[1]

When it was installed in 1890, Sydney Town Hall’s Grand Organ was the largest in the world and described as the ‘finest organ ever built by an English organ builder’. It remains the world’s largest organ without any electric action components and is of international significance. It contains one of only two full-length 64′ organ stops in the world (the Contra-Trombone in the pedal). The other 64' stop is the Diaphone-Dulzian in the Right Stage chamber (Pedal Right division) of the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States.

History

In 1973, Sydney Council began a major restoration program to address the mechanical problems it had begun to experience. Managing the program was R H Pogson Pty Ltd whose employees worked for almost 10 years to restore the organ to its original form.^[1]

Today, visitors to Town Hall can enjoy free organ recitals which are held throughout the year.

Gallery

• 

  A young boy rehearses on the Organ

• 

  The Sydney Town Hall Centennial Hall interior

References

1. City of Sydney Homepage , The Grand Organ, 29 December 2007.

External links

• The Grand Organ - City of Sydney
• The Organ Music Society of Sydney
• Sydney Town Hall Organ Specifications