Skip to main content

Hall Two

Organ Exhibit

This beautifully crafted pedal harmonium reflects the role music once played in community gatherings, ceremonies and places of worship across Townsville.

Built by Mason & Hamlin in 1930, the organ was used by the Masonic Lodge in Walker Street, Townsville. The timber stool displayed with it originally came from St Peter’s Church in West End, adding another local connection to the exhibit.

More
Organ Exhibit

Story Behind the Exhibit

The Organ Exhibit features a Mason & Hamlin pedal harmonium organ, built in 1930 and used by the Masonic Lodge in Walker Street, Townsville. Before recorded music and modern sound systems became common, instruments like this provided live music for ceremonies, gatherings and formal occasions.

A pedal harmonium is played by pumping air through the instrument using foot pedals, allowing sound to be produced without electricity. Its rich timber cabinet, decorative music stand, stops and keyboard show both the craftsmanship of the instrument and the care given to objects that served important community spaces.

Displayed with the organ is a timber stool originally from St Peter’s Church in West End. Together, these pieces connect different parts of Townsville’s social, spiritual and community history, offering visitors a glimpse into the sounds and settings of earlier local life.

What You'll See

  • Mason & Hamlin pedal harmonium organ built in 1930
  • Organ used by the Masonic Lodge in Walker Street, Townsville
  • Timber stool originally from St Peter’s Church in West End
  • Decorative timber cabinet and carved music stand
  • Keyboard, stops and foot pedals used to operate the instrument
  • A local connection to music, ceremony and community gatherings

Explore More in This Hall

Queensland Rail Refreshment Rooms

Queensland Rail Refreshment Rooms

Discover a place setting from the old Queensland Rail refreshment rooms, featuring crockery, tableware and dining items that reflect the style of railway travel and hospitality from an earlier era.
Early Telephone

Early Telephone

Explore the changing world of telephone communication, from field telephones and manual switchboards to distinctive home phones and early push-button models.
Sewing Display

Sewing Display

Explore hand-operated and early electric sewing machines from a bygone era, including an electric sewing machine dating back to the 1930s.
Printing

Printing

Explore the printing process once used by the Townsville Bulletin and see how large mechanical presses helped produce the daily newspaper before modern digital technology changed the industry.
Dining Room

Dining Room

Step into an elegant dining room from a bygone era, featuring a 1925 dining suite built in Townsville by a local craftsman and surrounded by household treasures from early family life.
Coastal Radio

Coastal Radio

Step inside a recreated coastal radio station and discover the vital role radio communication played in connecting ships, ports and people across the North Queensland coast.
City Chambers Window

City Chambers Window

Discover the original Townsville City Council leadlight window, once displayed in the old Council Chambers in Flinders Street and preserved as part of the city’s civic history.
Before Electricity

Before Electricity

Step into the home before power points and electric appliances, where wood stoves, kerosene lamps, ice boxes and hand-powered tools were part of everyday life.