The Willoughby WurliTzer organ
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The Willoughby WurliTzer Organ that was located in the Civic Centre has now been decommissioned and placed in secure storage where it will be fully restored with a computer upgrade. It will be relocated into the new Concert Hall of Civic Place.
It was designed as a ‘one man orchestra’ to accompany silent films. The two-manual, and ten-rank organ produces a range of different sounds, including those of the violin, flute, clarinet, tuba and human voice.
Timetable for the conservation, restoration and reinstallation of the Willoughby WurliTzer into the New Chatswood Civic Place
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Task
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Date
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Status
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Commence Social History Documentation of the WurliTzer Organ
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1 August 2007 |
Complete |
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| Filming of interview about the history of the WurliTzer with Organ Volunteer – Mr Harold Duffell, Theatre Consultant – Rob Mitchell, Acoustician – John Farren. |
August 2007 |
Complete |
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| Acoustic Testing of organ to refit into Concert Hall |
August 2007 |
Complete |
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| The Organ Society of Australia (TOSA) document the Willoughby WurliTzer in Concert featuring Mr Ron Sinclair, as a final Willoughby Spring Festival Event |
September 2007 |
Complete |
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| The Last Hurrah – Closing Ceremony of the Civic Centre showcases the Willoughby WurliTzer featuring Neil Jensen. |
September 2007 |
Complete |
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| Heritage Photographic Survey and Measured Drawings of Civic Centre site including the Willoughby Wurlitzer |
September 2007 |
Complete |
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| Removal of acoustic panels that surround the shutters at the rear of the stage in the town hall |
19 - 23 November 2007 |
Complete |
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| Site possession by WurliTzer - Contractor |
26 November 2007 |
Complete |
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| Commence decommissioning Works with the duration of works - 10 working days |
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Complete |
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| BLOCK 1 Transportation of WurliTzer to Contractors workshop and secure storage |
14 December 2007 |
Complete |
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| BLOCKS 2 to 6 inclusive. Restoration and repair of organ |
To be completed by 31 May 2009. |
In progress |
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| BLOCK 7 Installation of the Organ in the Concert Hall. |
To be completed between 1 June and 31 August 2009 |
To be completed |
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| BLOCK 8 Tonal finishing. |
To be commenced October 2009. |
To be completed |
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| Presentation and Launch of the Willoughby WurliTzer in the Civic Place Concert Hall |
2011 |
To be completed |
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History of the organ
It was the first WurliTzer Organ to be played in Australia outside the city centres, unveiled by owner Eddie Horton in Herbert Crispe’s Arcadia Theatre on 8 February 1926. When the Arcadia closed in 1961the trustees chose to donate the Wurlitzer to the citizens of Willoughby, handing it over to Council to store and later install.
In 1969 its restoration began and in 1972 it found its new home in the Willoughby Civic Centre. Throughout the next 35 years it was restored by a group of dedicated volunteers, including its computerisation and upgrading to be compatible with modern technology.
There are regular concert performances featuring the organ and it is used for school concerts and by the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra. It is one of few remaining operable Wurlitzer Organs in the state.
The following quotes are from Ian Grigg’s Arcadia: The Story of Sydney’s Ace Suburban Theatre 1915-1961, written as part of the opening of the Civic Centre in 1972 and available at Willoughby Library.
“Chatswood may pride itself in having the second WurliTzer installed in Sydney theatres, and coincidentally it ... [was] … the second to be re-installed in a Public Hall. … The Organ arrived in December 1925. … Many residents of Chatswood … recall[ed] the general excitement when the horse-drawn carts carrying crates of organ parts arrived at the theatre via the Pacific Highway, labelled with ‘Organ for the Arcadia Theatre Chatswood’ and ‘The Largest Organ in the State’. … The Organ itself, a two manual ten rank WurliTzer with the horse-shoe console, serial No. 1167 … cost the phenomenal sum of £10,000. When one considers that in 1925 a substantial dwelling could be built for £700, and land could be bought at Northbridge for £100, this outlay of cash surely caused some raised eyebrows. … on Monday night the 8th February 1926, Eddie Horton opened the new Chatswood Arcadia WurliTzer, to a crowd never before seen in the theatre.” (p15-17)
“The organ was used right up to the last night of the Arcadia; Wednesday 26th April 1961 … The Arcadia Theatre building, furnishings, fittings and the historic WurliTzer organ were placed on the market for sale. Even though offers of over £1000 were made for the instrument, it was finally donated to the Council of the Municipality of Willoughby by the Crispe family, on 26th February 1962. It was later dismantled by S. T. Noad & Son and packed in car crates to be stored at the Council’s Depot, where it lay untouched until November 1969.” (p23)
The following is a full description of the dimensions of the organ:
“The organ consists of two 61-note manuals, and 32-note concave radiating pedal-board. There are ten basic ranks of pipes, fully unified through electro-pneumatic relays. The ten ranks are: violin, violin celeste, flute, open diapason, clarinet, tibia, orchestral oboe, kinura, tuba and vox humana. The organ will speak from two changers, each 2688 cubic feet, occupying with the console alcove a total of 42 horizontal feet. The swell shutter openings measure 10 feet by 6 feet 6 inches. The blower is a Spencer Steel ‘Orgoblo’, manufactured by the organ power division of the Spencer Turbine Col, Hardford, Conn. which develops a wind pressure of 15 inches W.G. This is in turn powered by a Woods 3-phase 5 H.P. induction motor, running at 1500 r.p.m. Power supply is 415v.” (p42-43)