Tours & Presentations
Here at the South Island Organ Company, we are very passionate about our craft and ready to share our 
knowledge with anyone who is keen to know about organ building and to see our premises.
John Hargraves MNZM is available to give presentations or lectures on a wide range of technical topics. We have a collection of around 30,000 colour photos of New Zealand and Australian organs and video documentation and drawings of a significant number of major restorations and rebuilds. Visitors or tour groups are welcome to visit the Washdyke factory at any time, but we strongly recommend making an appointment by telephone or email to ensure that the timing of your visit enables us to make it fully enjoyable and informative.
If timing is right you might be treated to a skill of organ pipe voicing in our Voicing Shop or see a trial installation of the organ in our Assembly Shop.
Occasionally a tour or a presentation is only a foreword for an organ concert.
Young people are extremely welcome!
Gallery
Our Book is Available for Purchase
More than a Pipe Dream
This book pays homage to the highly skilled individuals in the South Island Organ Company who have dedicated so much of their lives to designing, building and restoring pipe organs, highly complex musical instruments as they are. It unveils an impressive amount of detail about this unique company's development, achievements and adventures, including secrets of the instruments construction and the art of restoration, all of which is presented in a highly readable manner so that you will never feel overwhelmed by technical jargon.
This book is the work of multi-award-winning writer Jill Worrall.
$99.99 plus postage & handling fee.
Here are some comments:
- "Thrilled to have the book arrive today. What a gorgeous production it is and how poignant the earthquake stories and images. Thank you and I will enjoy it in greater detail as the days go by". - Tim McWhannell
- "The book has arrived....amidst the busy day, I just had to have a quick flip through. I am absolutely gobsmacked! What a magnificent publication -accolades all round!
You have exceeded! I am wordless, and speechless!
Bravo!" - Roy Tankersley - "The book arrived today! Excellent publication" - Alan Edwards
- To John: "I enjoyed the book...indeed more than a pipe dream, that's for sure. From it I can see you've had a remarkable and interesting career amongst some great talented craftsmen and artisans and have formed a great company in SIOC which you must be proud of. The tragedy of the losses SIOC suffered with the deaths of your men following the earthquakes is so sad and I am sure is a deep loss to you and Val personally. But what an outstanding first 50 years" - Craig Maclean & family
- "My copy has arrived. It is superb!! Many thanks to Val and John, and to all those who had input into its publication" - Robert Cleaver