About

In 1963, the Style 260 3/15 Wurlitzer pipe organ – Opus 637 at the Capitol Theatre Melbourne was purchased, and installed in the Dendy Theatre Brighton, opening in 1967. An Open Diapason has since been added to now make it a 3/16. This organ has since been removed from the Dendy Theatre, and placed into storage, pending its re-installation in its original home, The Capitol Theatre Melbourne.

This Division of TOSA removed the Style 270 4/21 Wurlitzer – Opus 1987 from the State Theatre Melbourne and installed it in the Moorabbin Town Hall (now Kingston City Hall) for the City of Moorabbin (now Kingston City Council). Members of this division have an ongoing commitment to maintain this instrument. This organ has undergone a complete rebuild, re-opening for the Easter Convention in March 2005. 3 new ranks have be added in 2016(Krumet, Solo String Celeste and Oboe Horn in the Solo Chamber) to bring it to a 4/24, and a new Tibia is to be installed in the main chamber at a later date to eventually make it a 4/25.

Three further organs are owned by this division. They are the 3/17 Compton at the Malvern Town Hall, the newly completed 2/9 Christie Blackett and Howden installation at the Coburg Town Hall, and the 2/9 Wurlitzer at Wesley of Warragul, following the demise of the Warragul Theatre Organ Society, when it became a part of Melbourne Theatre Organ
Monthly Club nights featuring a guest artist are scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month and Concerts with a visiting artist are held during the year, from February to November at one of the four venues – Malvern Town Hall, Dendy Theatre Brighton, Kingston City Hall (Moorabbin) or CoburgTown Hall.

Tickets for Concerts are available at the door, or through TryBooking – see the main page for details – refer to ‘Whats on’ for information on Concert dates and locations.

1. To preserve, restore, maintain, and present the Theatre Pipe Organ to the public.

2. To actively seek to install Theatre Pipe Organ Instruments in venues and to enter into appropriate formal/legal agreements with the owners of such venues that will allow:

(a) the regular public presentation of the instruments through the medium of concerts and musical programmes;

(b) professional and amateur organists, members and friends of the Association, music teachers and students, and other authorised users regular access to the instruments for practice, pleasure, and presentation;

(c) regular access for maintenance, tuning, and ongoing restoration of the instruments;

(d) access for recording purposes as required.

3. To actively promote the Theatre Pipe Organ including its tradition: as a means of entertainment; as a versatile musical instrument in its own right; as a viable medium of musical expression within our musical culture; by dissemination of information concerning the instrument and its versatility.

4. To provide social opportunities for members and friends of the Association to promote and encourage interest in this form of music.