St Paul's Presbyterian Church Second World War Memorial Pipe Organ, Casino

About

The war memorial is a pipe organ located in the apse of the St Paul's Presbyterian Church in Casino, NSW. It was made by the Whitehouse Bros. Company of Brisbane and features two manuals, 10 speaking stops with a tubular-pneumatic action and pedals. The project to install the organ began in 1944 and was funded by local subscription, collected by a special committee. Two years later, at the annual committee meeting in March 1946, it was decided to install two additional stops bringing the cost of the build to 1,517 pounds, which included the structural alterations to the church to allow installation of the organ (Northern Star, 25 February 1944, 12 March 1946).  Following the 1947 annual meeting, the Northern Star, 10 March 1947, published details of the progress and payments for plans for the platform and the purchase of war bonds. It was expected that the work would be completed within a few months and was to cost 1,471 pounds. The memorial was dedicated by the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Right Reverend W.J. Grant on Sunday 24 August 1947, in honour of over 100 members of the church who served in the Second World War. The full program included a performance by Professor De Looze during the ceremony, an organ recital in the afternoon and a Thanksgiving Service in the evening led by Reverend A.T.P. North, to help raise remaining funds (Northern Star, 8 August 1947). The Kyogle Examiner, 26 August 1947, claimed the organ was the first post-war pipe organ built in Australia. The memorial organ is available for viewing when the church is open for services.

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