Carousel (Merry Go Round) Organ

The Carousel Organ provided the music for the Civic Merry Go Round. It is currently being restored by the Canberra Organ Restoration Group (CORG) and has recently been relocated to the Ainslie Art Centre, following renovations to provide more permanent accommodation for the organ.

The organ is of the larger variety of fairground organs, consisting of some 247 pipes, a 22 note Glockenspiel, as well as various percussion instruments, all of which are played automatically using punched cardboard 'books', in much the same way as a pianola. The keying system is of the 'keyless' variety, comprising 69 tracks. The organ was known as the 'Apollo' after the God of the Sun from Greek mythology, hence the proliferation of sunflowers on the original carved facade. The facade originally carried three automated figurines, one to conduct the music and two lady bellringers, all controlled by the music book.