The Lawton and Osborne organ in Maori Hill Presbyterian Church was dismantled earlier this week and has been taken to the South Island Organ Company in Timaru to be on-sold.
Company archivist and voicer Christopher Templeton said the organ was made in Aberdeen, Scotland, and shipped to New Zealand before being installed in the church in 1929.
He said there were many scattered around the world, but there were fewer than 10 of its type in New Zealand and only three or four left with the original ''unaltered wooden pipes''.
He said it cost about 1600 brand new, and it cost a further 300 to install in the church.
''That's equivalent to about $190,000 in today's currency.
''Insurance replacement value is roughly about $500,000.''
He said the organ was worth about $20,000 if it was sold for parts, but if a buyer wanted it installed in a new premises, it could cost up to $200,000.
''We've got all the pipe-work which is the main part of the instrument that we would be wanting to recycle or use for restorations.
''So now we will be looking for an appropriate building or appropriate job where we could do that.''
