About

EARLY BIRD PRICING EXTENDED TO FRIDAY 11 JULY 2025

Welcome to the 2025 OHTA NSW Conference!

This year's OHTA Conference will be the longest event since the 2016 conference in New Zealand and spans seven days from Sunday 28 September to Saturday 4 October 2025. The conference will start and end in Sydney, travelling west over the Blue Mountains to Lithgow, Bathurst and Orange, and then returning east in a wide arc through Carcoar, Harden, Gunning and Goulburn. Accommodation has been booked in Penrith, Medlow Bath, Bathurst, Orange and Goulburn. 

The conference  will provide a remarkable opportunity to see a wide range of organs, often in very fine architectural settings. Alongside the work of Australian organsbuilders are notable British instruments and two modern organs from North America. Conference papers will focus on the growing problem of redundant organs resulting from church closures and changing worship styles.

The preferred method of booking is by TryBooking (www.trybooking.com/CYDMF).  No credit card or booking fees will be billed to participants – these will be absorbed by OHTA. NOTE: Payments made using PayPal or international credit cards will attract an initial surcharge, which will later be refunded by OHTA.

Full conference registration and day options are available.  Note that day options do not include accommodation or coach transport. Coach transport may be available upon enquiry, depending on available seats.

An EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT will apply to all bookings received by 11 July 2025.  Standard rates will apply from then until 29 August 2025, when bookings close. 

TRAVEL

Participants must arrange their own travel to and from Sydney. On Sunday 28 September no transport will be provided. Participants are advised to travel by train to St James’ or Martin Place stations in Sydney, a short walk from St Mary’s Cathedral.

A coach will be available (for those who book full registration) for the remainder of the conference and participants should arrive at the western concourse of Central Station no later than 9:00am on Monday 29 September. The coach will return to the same location at around 5:00pm on Saturday 4 October, stopping at Sydney Domestic Terminal 2 at around 4:00pm and Terminal 3 at around 4.30pm. Participants booking flights are strongly advised to factor in unexpected delays, as well as the check-in time specified by their airlines.  Departure times earlier than 6:00pm are therefore not recommended.

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation is included with full registration, as shown below. (Note that participants registering on a daily basis will need to book their own accommodation).

Monday 29 September: Mercure Hotel, corner Mulgoa and Jamison Roads, Penrith*

Tuesday 30 September: Hydro-Majestic Hotel, Great Western Highway, Medlow Bath*

Wednesday 1 October: Bathurst Motor Inn, 87 Durham Street, Bathurst*

Thursday 2 October: Quest Hotel, 132 KIte Street, Orange+

Friday 3 October: Abbey Motel, 57 Verner Street, Goulburn+

* Includes light breakfast;

+ breakfast available in nearby cafes

BRIEF SUMMARY OF ITINERARY

Sunday 28 September: St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney (at 4:00pm) and St James’ King Street, Sydney (at 6:00pm) - No transport or accommodation

Monday 29 September : St John’s Darlinghurst and St Patrick’s Parramatta – papers and OHTA AGM. For those who have full registration or have booked for the day with coach, the coach will pick up participants at the Western Concourse, Central Station at 9:00am.

Tuesday 30 September:  Organs in Windsor, Glenbrook and Katoomba. Conference dinner at the Hydro-Majestic Hotel, Medlow Bath

Wednesday 1 October:  Organs in Blackheath, Mt Victoria, Lithgow, Wallerawang and Kelso

Thursday 2 October: Organs in Bathurst and Orange, including a visit to historic Abercrombie House and its two pipe organs

Friday 3 October: Organs in  Carcoar, Harden and Gunning

Saturday 4 October: Organs in Goulburn and return to Sydney Central Station via Domestic Airport

REFUNDS

A full refund of registration fees will be offered to anyone withdrawing from the event, provided notice is provided by email (see below) before 7 September 2025. Note that a full refund for all accommodation we book may not be available, as some of the hotels do not provide a refund after we make a block booking and make advance payment.

CONTACT

For more information, contact Kelvin Hastie by email at conference@ohta.org.au or by clicking on the link below and typing in your message. You may also phone Hugh Knight on mobile 0400 753 087.