THE historic Fincham organ at Inglewood’s St Augustine’s Anglican Church is now complete.
The missing swell oboe pipe has been installed ahead of this month’s performance during the inaugural Keys of Gold festival across central Victoria.
Melbourne organ builder Daniel Bittner climbed into the organ loft to fit the pipe made in the same decade as the organ.
Festival founder and organist Thomas Heywood said: “This wonderful instrument is now complete ... the organ is a testament to the quality colonial manufacturing of George Fincham.”
Mr Heywood said a chance discussion with Daniel had led to finding a set of Fincham pipes not use. 
“They were in Hobart and I asked whether there was a swell oboe and yes, there was,” he said.
“This pipe completes a wonderful organ and we can’t wait to be performing here for the festival.”
Completion came almost 150 years after the organ made by renowned goldfields musical instrument maker George Fincham was installed.
St Augustine’s Sue Brown said the organ had cost £350  when installed and retained its original mechanism, pitch and cone-tuned pipeworks.
The organ was moved to its present chamber, to the south of the chancel, in 1884 and a new piccolo stop was added in 1886.
Mr Heywood said the historic organ would be valued at more than $2 million today and remained in good condition, able to still be used for church services and other events.
The Keys of Gold festival is a month-long series of boutique recitals in the region.
Mr Heywood said: “The program of unique concerts explores the region’s historically significant churches and the keyboard instruments hidden within them.
“Our acclaimed musicians bring to life spectacular pipe organs, Steinway concert grand pianos and more, complemented  by supporting instruments and voices.”
Mr Heywood and soprano Merlyn Quaife will feature at the late morning Inglewood recital on July 26.