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Laurie Pipe Organ - Whitley College

Location 271 Royal Parade,, PARKVILLE VIC 3052 - Property No B4790 File Number B4790 Level State

[1/4] B4790 Parkville Whitley [2/4] B4790 Whitley College Chapel [3/4] B4790 Whitley College Chapel [4/4] B4790 Whitley College Chapel

Statement of Significance

What is significant? The pipe organ built in 1975 by Laurie Pipe Organs Pty Ltd, directed by Steve Laurie, Job Number 437, is an imaginative and musically highly successful small organ that sounds well in a reverberant acoustic, suggesting an instrument of larger size and resources. It was one of the few completely new mechanical action instruments built by the Laurie firm and used in the 1970s for several recitals during the Melbourne International Festival of Organ and Harpsichord. The appearance of the organ is distinctive, with tapered Gemshorn pipes forming the facade, closeable doors flanking the upper half of the case, and a pleasing asymmetrical design.
How is it significant? The organ is significant for historic, aesthetic and technical reasons at a state level
Why is it significant?
-- It is one of a handful of new mechanical action instruments built by the Laurie firm;
-- It is the most successful small organ built in Melbourne with mechanical action during the 1970s period;
-- It is an instrument displaying originality in its appearance, fine craftsmanship and an excellent sound;
-- It is an early example of a number of new mechanical action organs installed in the 1970s within Melbourne as part of the local organ reform movement.
Classified: 28/4/2008