INSTALLATION of a final pipe will complete Inglewood’s historic Fincham organ.
The pipe will come from Tasmania and is expected to be installed next month on the Victorian Heritage Database-listed organ at St Augustine’s Anglican Church.
Completion will come 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.
Sue said it was an exciting moment in the history of the church that celebrated 150 years in 2024.
The Organ Historical Trust of Australia says Inglewood’s organ is one of the largest instruments built by Fincham for churches in Victoria. 
“It has a ‘signature’ three-tower case filled with spotted metal pipes; unusually, these have not been stencilled or painted. The pipes are held in position by turned wooden spindles,” the trust says.
Sue said the church was receiving assistance from Thomas Heywood who had sourced the “missing pipe” and had arranged for its installation. “We are fortunate to have a unique and special organ in our church and one that can now be completed.”