St Catherine’s Hall piano

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Thurmer

c. 1890

Overview

Thurmer piano - wood, metal, felt, ivory. The sconces and a lower front panel are missing.

Historical information

This piano was made c1890 by the German company, Thürmer. The Thürmer family has been making pianos in Meissen, Germany since1834.
In the early 1890s, A.C. & W.R. Clinch donated a block of land available to the north of the Government buildings at Central Greenough. Tenders were called to build a public hall to the specifications of plans drawn up by Thomas Whitney, a Perth architect, in 1893. Construction of the new hall at Central Greenough did not commence until 1898 due to lack of finances. St Catherine's Hall was officially opened on 4 May 1898 with a concert and a dance, the music being supplied by the Geraldton Orchestra. Once opened the hall proved a popular venue for dances, parties, wedding receptions, ratepayers' and political meetings, school concerts, public lectures, badminton and annual flower shows.

There is reference in an article in the Geraldton Express (3 May 1901) about a concert held in St Catherine’s Hall, that the piano had been paid for, and “…After the interval, Miss Grace Maley opened with a piano solo, ‘Dorothy’…”

Public use of the hall declined in the 1960s and the piano was sold to Milton Clinch. He kept it at Donnaville Farm, and then from the mid1990s in Geraldton. Milton Clinch donated this piano to the museum in 2006.
The piano was last tuned by Chris Collins on 26 July 2019.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-72-GMOB0036

Item type

Musical instruments

Themes

Social History

Width

150 mm

Height or length

1300 mm

Depth

650 mm

Contextual Information

This piano is highly significant to the region due its community association with St Catherine's Hall, Greenough. It is also important to this museum, in that it was played by Grace, youngest child of John and Elizabeth Maley. It is a reminder of a period when many people were taught musical skills as a means of communal entertainment. It has importance to the museum in that it can still be played by visitors.

Keywords

Greenough

Place made

Germany

Year

c. 1890

Statement of significance

The object 'Piano' (GMOB0036) is a rare example and has very high aesthetic significance, given its (form, colour, texture). The item has low scientific significance, although being representative of the class MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS/Keyboard in fair condition. The item has historic significance for the local community and has good interpretive potential. This item has very high social significance given it was associated with St Catherine's Hall(1890,1960),

Primary significance criteria

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria

Well provenanced

Greenough Museum and Gardens

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