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Hill Organ - St Peter's Lutheran Church

Location 23 Scallan Street,, STAWELL VIC 3380 - Property No B4854 File Number B4854 Level State

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Statement of Significance

The pipe organ built in 1858 by Hill & Son is the earliest identifiable example of this distinguished firm's work to be exported to Australia. Commissioned by a Mr Davis, of Melbourne, it was placed in St Andrew's Church, Brighton for many years and was later at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Stratford before its relocation to Stawell in 1968-9. The instrument remains substantially intact and retains all of its original pipework, actions and the exceptionally fine mahogany casework with cornice embellished with egg and dart mouldings. Only one comparable example of a Hill & Son chamber organ is known to survive in the United Kingdom - at St Nicholas' Church, Ingrave, Essex, built two years earlier by the Hill firm.
How is it significant? The organ is significant for historic, aesthetic and technical reasons at a state level.
Why is it significant? The pipe organ at St Peter's Lutheran Church, Stawell is significant for the following reasons:
. It is the earliest organ by the London firm of Hill & Son known to have been exported to Australia;
. The instrument survives in a substantially intact state retaining all of its original pipework, mechanism, wind chests and 'dovecote' swell box;
. The casework is unusual for the period, executed in the superior timber mahogany and with an elaborate cornice and facade pipes originally covered in gold leaf but later overpainted.
Adopted from Heritage Victoria statement: March, 2009
Classified: April, 1981
Revised: 16/03/2009