St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney

St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney

St. Mary's Cathedral, the mother church of Australia, Cathedral of the Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney, is in the centre of the area bounded by Hyde Park and St James' Station; Queens Square with the Law Courts and Government Offices; the Domain; and Philip and Cook Parks. Nearby is the main traffic artery to the harbour suburbs of Vaucluse, Rose Bay Double Bay, and Darling Point.

The Cathedral, notable for its flying buttresses, is a favourite subject with artists and photographers and to ships coming up the harbour it is a conspicuous landmark.

St. Mary's Cathedral is constructed of dressed Pyrmont stone. The architecture is geometrical decorated Gothic. The building faces south instead of west which is customary, and the design is cruciform with a central tower at the intersection of the Nave and the Transepts. The Cathedral, dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians, was consecrated on 2nd September 1905, and because it was incomplete at the time special permission for its consecration was obtained from Rome. It was raised to the title and dignity of a Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1930.

BRIEF HISTORY.
The Archdiocese of Sydney was established in 1834 and originally comprised the whole of the Australian continent, together with the adjacent islands. In 1971 it is bounded in the east by the Pacific Ocean, extends from Toukley in the North to the Dividing Range and south along the range to near Jenolan Caves and thence to the ocean at Port Hacking Bay.

HISTORICAL NOTES
3rd May 1820: Arrival in Sydney of Father Conolly and Father Therry.
15th June 1820: Father Connolly presided at a meeting on the premises of John Reddington in Pitt Street to arrange a public meeting in the Court House on 30th June for the purpose of collecting funds to erect a chapel.

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