Astra Theatre

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Astra Theatre Macquarie Street and Marsden Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150 – 1935

Rod Blackmore of AUSTRALASIAN THEATRE ORGANS writes –

The Astra theatre, Parramatta (a city in its own right in the greater Sydney area, and 20km west of Sydney city) was a latecomer to the theatres reviewed in this series. Built on the corner of Macquarie and Marsden Streets, it opened on 21 November 1935, owned by Astra Theatres Limited. On 18th February 1937 organist Penn Hughes opened the 2 manual 5 rank Christie theatre organ which had been installed (having the order number N61 in the books of the Australian division of the English organ building firm Hill, Norman and Beard.) Some commentators have cast doubt on whether this organ really was a Christie, some suggesting that the irrepressible Hughes had been responsible for putting together a locally produced faux Christie. The organ, however, is referred to in HN&B’s Melbourne factory list, and possibly used numbers of spare parts in stock, including a “B.2” model console. The 5 ranks were all on direct-electric action chests.

The organ console was on a rostrum to the left of the proscenium. It has been said that there were two chambers, one either side of the proscenium and this suggestion seems supported by the grille-work apparent. It might be unusual for such a small organ, however, to have been in more than a single chamber. At a point in its life in the theatre the console apparently had an illuminated surround. In 1939 the Astra came under the control of Western Suburbs Cinemas Limited who also had the lease of the nearby Roxy theatre (which contained the 3 manual 10 rank Christie organ.) Charles Tuckwell was organist there in late 1938, early 1939. Other organists engaged at the Astra included Clarence Black, Ray Chaffer, and Nicholas Robins. During wartime, some organists had to double up at the Astra and the Roxy.

The organ was removed in the mid-1950s, and although there is some debate about this, appears to have then been installed in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Bondi (an eastern surburb), remaining there until 1968 when it was relocated to the Holy Family Catholic Church, Emerton (Mt. Druitt) (a far-western suburb.) It was originally installed there by S.T. Noad & Son in the hall being temporarily used as a church.

In about 1977, when a new church had been built it was relocated there, but Noads had then gone out of business, and the organ’s swell shutters were not returned to the church. On the advice of an architect the organ was installed as a free-standing unenclosed instrument, which looked impressive but with only some combination pistons would have been difficult to play with expression. The rebuilt console by Noad was no more than a shell containing the two keyboards, straight stop rail, and pedals. The stop tabs appear to have been the originals. The organ was sold in 1984 and its current whereabouts unknown, although information suggested that it was to go to a church in a northwest suburb, possibly Kenthurst. Despite other opinions, my own inspection at Emerton was consistent with this instrument being the original 5 ranks from the Astra theatre. Pipe ranks as inspected at Emerton in 1977: Diapason, Tibia, Viol, Tuba, Vox Humana – Contributed by Greg Lynch –