With the emergence of interest in historical keyboards during the 1970s and 1980s, several firms designed and commercially produced harpsichord and fortepiano ‘kits’, comprising the plans, instructions and materials necessary to build a decent instrument.

This instrument derives from a kit manufactured by Zuckermann Harpsichords Inc. Wolfgang Zuckermann invented the harpsichord kit in 1960. It is not known who built this instrument from the popular Concert Five-octave Zuckermann kit model in the mid-1970s, but it was owned by Romaldo Giurgola, the architect who designed Parliament House in Canberra. In 1995, Mr Giurgola donated his instrument to the people of the city.

The following year, the ACT Government Cultural Council provided a grant to The Early Music Council of Canberra to have the instrument extensively rebuilt. Subsequently, instrument maker Terry McGee restored the harpsichord, including attending to structural problems, replacing the soundboard, restringing, revoicing and redecorating before it was publicly opened in August 1998.

The five-octave compass is GG–g´´´. The harpsichord is strung with red and yellow brass, and soft iron wire. There are three sets of strings (2 x 8´, 4´) and a buff stop. Levers at either end of the wrestplank enable the player to control which register of jacks are brought into operation to pluck the strings.

In 2006, the instrument was donated to the ANU Keyboard Institute.

Pitch: A415