About

The 2023 conference will be based in Albury which is on the border between NSW and Victoria. Coaches have been booked for the three days of excursions to Beechworth and Wangaratta, Walla Walla and Wagga Wagga, and to Corowa. One whole day will be spent in Albury itself, and this day will conclude with a dinner at the mansion ‘Adamshurst’, which has a spectacular ballroom equipped with a splendid c. 1850 English chamber organ, a two-manual Alexandre harmonium and a grand piano. On the Friday, we will be having lunch at All Saints Winery at Wahgunyah followed by a wine tasting at Morris Wines.

There is a wide variety of organs by Australian, British, Canadian and German makers that will be visited. Three very early English organs will be seen at Beechworth Town Hall, the Lady Chapel of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Wangaratta (Bevington & Sons 1845) and at ‘Adamshurst’ in Albury. The 1922 Henry Willis & Sons and Lewis & Company Ltd organ in Wangaratta Cathedral will also be a drawcard, now with the wind system fully operational again: it is a very substantial instrument of three manuals and 40 speaking stops and Dr Kieran Crichton will perform a recital. More recently, the large Letourneau instrument of 1994 at St Matthew’s Church in Albury will be heard in a recital given by James Flores.

One of the focal points of the conference will be the small ‘model’ organs produced by firms in Melbourne and Sydney after the second world war to provide an affordable product. We will see examples of this at Albury, Alma Park, Wagga Wagga and Wodonga built by Hill, Norman & Beard, Geo. Fincham & Sons, Laurie Pipe Organs and S.T. Noad. Several papers will explore this topic on the Wednesday afternoon followed by the OHTA AGM.

Bookings are now open and offer choices from full registration ($400.00, inclusive of the booking fee), through to day and a half day option. After payment you will be given an electronic ticket alongside your receipt, but it will not be necessary to print out the ticket or bring it with you to the conference.

ACCOMMODATION

Rooms have been reserved from the evening of Monday 2 October to the morning of Saturday 7 October at the Commodore Motor Inn, 515 Kiewa Street, Albury, NSW which is centrally located opposite St Matthew’s Anglican Church. Conference participants will need to telephone or email Cheryl King before 1 August 2023 to reserve a room. Telephone (02) 6021 3344, email: reception@commodorealbury.com.au

REFUNDS

A full refund will be offered to anyone withdrawing from the event, provided notice is provided by email (see below) before 29 September.  

DATES

Tuesday 3 – Friday 6 October 2023

LocationS

Albury, Victoria

CONTACT

For more information, contact John Maidment by email at conference@ohta.org.au or by clicking on the link below and typing in your message.