the original thread looks like its been deleted?

one of my favs. the largest brick cathedral in Australia! Christchurch in Newcastle.
75m long, 38m high

http://www.gwb.com.au/gwb/news/nywf99/007.jpg

post your favs>

My fav in Sydney would have to be St Marys! our LARGEST cathedral
107m long!

http://www.keriandgreg.com/pictures/honeymoon/resized/SYDCathedralSideResized.jpg


southern spires-70m.

http://www.keriandgreg.com/pictures/honeymoon/resized/SYDCathedralFrontResized.jpg

lofty interior! 100ft high!

http://www.keriandgreg.com/pictures/honeymoon/resized/SYDInsideCathedral2Resized.jpg

St. Paul's, Melbourne

Before Spires
http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/Swanston3.jpg

After Spires added
http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPaul's5.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPaul's6.jpg

The interior
http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPaul's7.jpg

Spire
http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/StPaul's1.jpg

St. Patrick's, Melbourne

Before spires
http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/StPat's1.jpg

After spires added
http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPat's4.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPat's5.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPat's6.jpg

yes the 96m spire of St pauls is amazing! The "Moorehouse spire" boasts Australias largest Peal of Bells with 13 & the 1.5m tenor weighing 1487 kg!!
notice the dif colour stones for spires.In 1920's Sydney architect James barr was appointed head architect and he saw the completion of spires. He also insisted on stone from Prymont in Sydney.

St patricks is my 2nd fav cathedral maily due to its height! at 105m its one of tallest church spires in world! (not incl domes/towers).
The 20ft/1.5 tonne cross was donnated by President of Eire, Ireland in 1938.
There are 15,000 stones in the 3 spires which took 2 years to build.

the western spires are 66m high
http://statelibrary.vic.gov.au/pictures/0/0/0/im/pi000648.jpg
St pats is widest in oz across transepts at 49m.
great cathedrals take a long time to build-

uc in 1862
http://www.statelibrary.vic.gov.au/pictoria/a/5/3/im/a53188.jpg

uc in 1878
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an6589392-97-v


only one of the 37m high towers were completed initially when catehdral was finished in 1897.
http://www.statelibrary.vic.gov.au/pictoria/a/0/4/im/a04028.jpg

on completion in 1939 the 105m spire was tallest structure in melb. It was finally surpassed in 1953 by the power station stack.

http://statelibrary.vic.gov.au/sjones/0/0/0/im/sj000409.jpg

it wasnt unil 1969 when a skyscraper was built higher! the 113m AMP.

http://www.statelibrary.vic.gov.au/pictures/0/0/1/im/pi001895.jpg

St Pats is the pick of all of those great buildings. And its massive spires are the largest, tallest or whatever you want to call it, with the main spire going to 105m (350ft).

ive noticed that Sydney seemed to build fatter and wider back then, while melbourne built taller for some reason.

Garden Palace was bigger than REB but REB's dome was higher, and St Mary's is longer than St Pats but it's spires are much smaller. Even St Pauls central spire is much taller.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Not very good pics of St Pats and Paul's though, older with colours way off. I'm going on a few photo excursions as I finish Uni over the next couple weeks, so I'll get some good pics of St Pat's and St Paul's whilst I'm at it.

Stu

St. Paul's & its context = my favourite.

Not very good pics of St Pats and Paul's though, older with colours way off. I'm going on a few photo excursions as I finish Uni over the next couple weeks, so I'll get some good pics of St Pat's and St Paul's whilst I'm at it.

Stu
i love cathedrals in B&W.
St pats is basically two colours. grey Bluestone main structure and sandstone orange spires.
http://www.grandprixcities.com/000sitepics/ausstpats.jpg

St pauls is light sandstone structure with darker orange spires.

http://ascy.org.uk/galleries/2003/australia/melbourne_stpaul.jpg

tays- St Pauls is probably the worst located cathedral in Australia! Its cramed in site only allowed a 32m wide transept and across from fed square doesnt complement it at all. needs more open space around it.also only 8m above Yarra.
St pats is finest location.lots of open space around. high elevation!
highly visable.

heres a pic of my fav church cpire.
the wonderful Hunter baillie at Annandale
at 56m/183ft it was Sydney' tallest spire for over 100 yearsZ!

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/509/126hunterbaillie.jpg

st marys and st pats in my church display at St marys crypt

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p7f5b21e13004532057479e2f79ae53af/fcf444eb.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p320f03ea581a52e0baf71e7c143d4634/fcf4481e.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p320f03ea581a52e0baf71e7c143d4634/fcf4481e.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p710c9270f6d1296bf507cd8fd3c58e1b/fcf444e7.jpg

St Paul's was never designed to have the southern spires and the main spire was built much taller then it was supose to be. I think the original design is better then what we have now.

The other thing to note is that St Paul's was designed to be located in the middle of a CBD, like it is at the moment, not to stand on a hill or surrounded by open space like St Pat's.

Brisbane doesn't have any big cathederals - many of Queenslands regional centers do have much bigger cathederals than Brisbane though. Ipswich has the biggest cathederal in SEQ.

jt

They are amazing, why can't they build stuff like that these days.
I seen a nice one in mackay but i can't remember what its called.

Brisbane doesn't have any big cathederals - many of Queenslands regional centers do have much bigger cathederals than Brisbane though. Ipswich has the biggest cathederal in SEQ.

jt
St Johns is actually 5th biggest in oz now! it =s huge!
Its 76m long, and has Australia's widest nave-31m. its growing day by day with new work.

St Josephs at Rockhampton
http://enc.slq.qld.gov.au/slq/neg/preview/014000/14024p.jpg


and St marys at Ipswich are largest cathedrals out of Brisbane but shorter at 53m long.

My favourite cathedral (if you can call it that cos it is quite small, actually, what constitutes a cathedral) is one in Canberra called All Saints Anglican Church. It is situated in Ainslie but started life out as the Rookwood Cemetery Funeral Train Station in Sydney. The train took the coffins somewhere!?!?!? Anyway, around the late 1950's it was moved to Canberra and rebuilt as the church. The other churches may be big and bold but this has been my favourite church building since I was a little kid. Sorry, dont have any pics!!

this one>

http://www.basis.act.gov.au/DUSLibrary/ImagesACT.nsf/view/3403251DDF9DF2534A256B5D00827E4E/$File/000015.jpg

^ yick. Some wierd blend of neo-gothic and neo-Norman/Romanesque design going on there. Looks like a giant, fancy horse stable! But then again it was a railway station...

btw, as for the Cemetary trains, they went from Mortuary station at Regent Street, just down from Central to Rookwood Cemetary siding at Rockwood Cemetary (there were other cemetary braches in Sydney too...)

yes, its a great story with the coffin trains to Rookwood. isnt Rookwood still the largest necropolis in the world?

Thats the one, havent seen it in years so its bringing back the memory's. And now that I think about it, I was a bit of a train nut when I was a kid so that might have something to do with it.

i love the enormous length of St Marys. at 107m its the only one longer then 100m in Australia. 2nd longest is St pats at 96m. guess the 3rd?

http://www.bildungsservice.at/faecher/geo/Staedte/Sydney/Sydney%202003%20-%20DSCF8546.JPG

St mary's is lovely but i still prefer St Pat's. It just looks bigger. those massive spires do the trick.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

the front 70m spires of St Marys are actually taller then St pats by 5m. ST Marys bell tower is 46m and never designed to hold a central spire.
St Marys transepts are quite narrow at 38m compared to st pats at 49m.

Although the spires may be taller and the nave longer at St Mary's then St Pat's, St Pat's definatly looks much bigger. Like Dean said, I too think its the three spires and the use of blustone and the hill St Pat's sits on, all together make it feel larger.

Perth
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid147/p5bbe9ea72262e96243fcf27e9e6fbe20/f635e45e.jpg

Amazing collection of model churches, Cul.

I think a Cathedral more than a lot of masonry and actually needs a bishop to rate as such. anyone prepared to offer a definitive list of australian cathedrals?

I know of three in Melbourne:

St. Paul's Anglican
St. Patrick's Catholic
The Ukranian Catholic Cathedral in North Melbourne

There are also regional cathedrals in Ballarat, Bendigo, & I think, Bairnsdale ....

St Pat's in Melbourne certainly is pretty impressive:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/East%20Melbourne/stpk5434.jpg

This is not a cathedral but a basillica! It's in Camberwell. Perhaps someone can tell me the difference. I guess a church could be both?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/Domes/olv5609.jpg

Basilicas are churchs that have been designated as historic or important by the Catholic church, I think.

Basilicas are churchs that have been designated as historic or important by the Catholic church, I think.

This may apply to the Eastern Orthodox Church too. I wonder what was especially significant about Our Lady of Victories in Camberwell?

Our Lady of Victories is a Minor Basilica like St Pat's and St Mary's and another one in Fremantle, WA. Our Lady of Victories is the Patron Saint of Australia, and that was one if not the main reasons it became a minor basilica.

Minor basilicas just mean they have much significance in catholic history.
St Marys in Sydney (mother church of Australian catholics)
St Patricks in Melb (centre of catholics in Victoria)
Our lady of victories-Camberwell
St Patricks-Fremantle (historic significance in WAs early catholicism)
yardmaster- there are hundreds of cathedrals in Australia. most towns have 2. catholic and anglican.

Here is a list of all the Catholic Cathedrals in Australia

Adelaide - St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Armidale - St Mary & St Joseph's Cathedral
Ballarat - St Patrick's Cathedral
Bathurst - St Michael & St John's Cathedral
Brisbane - St Stephen's Cathedral
Broken Bay - Corpus Christi Cathedral
Broome - Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathedral
Bunbury - St Patrick's Cathedral
Cairns - St Monica's Cathedral
Canberra & Golburn - St Christopher's Cathedral
Darwin - St Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral
Geraldton - St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Hobart - St Mary's Cathedral
Lismore - St Carthage's Cathedral
Maitland & Newcastle - Sacred Heart Cathedral
Melbourne - St Patrick's Cathedral
Parramatta - St Patrick's Cathedral
Perth - St Mary's Cathedral
Port Pirie - St Mark's Cathedral
Rockhampton - St Joseph's Cathedral
Sale - St Mary's Cathedral
Sandhurst (Bendigo) - Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sydney - St Mary's Cathedral
Toowoomba - St Patrick's Cathedral
Townsville - Sacred Heart Cathedral
Wagga Wagga - St Michael the Archangel's Cathedral
Wilcannia & Forbes - Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral
Wollongong - St Francis Xavier Cathedral

5 = St Mary's
5 = St Patrick's

great list steve.
Goulburn has a gorgeous cathedral also! St peters & pauls.
The only large eccelesiastical building in the world built from a rare blue-green stone called Porphyry . the green stone was quarried 9kms away.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v158/culwulla/goulburncathedral.jpg

Mr C, Sts Peter & Pauls is not a Catholic Cathedral. The Catholic Cathedral is St Christopher's in Canberra.

^ sure is a cathedral!

http://www.weddingnsw.com/churches/church108.htm
i visited there last year.

The Cathedral is unique in that it’s the only Australian cathedral built in entirety under the direction of one bishop.(with exception of spire). :)

LISMORE N.NSW

http://www.lismorediocese.org/img/lismore/cathedral_large.jpeg
http://www.lismorediocese.org/cathedral/home.html and the cathedral website - very interesting.
Below is St Andrews Anglican Church also in Lismore - it is special to me because I sat and watched the sun go down on 31st dec 2003, it was the last point at which the sun hit. I felt very spiritual at that point looking at the last rays of the sun for 2003 it the spire of that church. It will be something I will never forget.
http://www.walkabout.com.au/graphics/images/CD264289.JPG


OK so you had to be there.
jt

"Broken Bay' Corpus Christi cathedral is at St. Ives. There's only one cathedral in each diocese.

http://corpuschristicathedralstives.catholicau.com/images/1601_Home.jpg

Th St carthages is awesome. its a william wardell design (St marys in Syd, st pats in melb). if only the 30m spire would of been built. its 30m tower would be so much more prominent at 60m/200ft!!
the st andrews is also nice. its 34m tall to cross. tiny spire though.

Here is a list of all the Catholic Cathedrals in Australia

Adelaide - St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Armidale - St Mary & St Joseph's Cathedral
Ballarat - St Patrick's Cathedral
Bathurst - St Michael & St John's Cathedral
Brisbane - St Stephen's Cathedral
Broken Bay - Corpus Christi Cathedral
Broome - Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathedral
Bunbury - St Patrick's Cathedral
Cairns - St Monica's Cathedral
Canberra & Golburn - St Christopher's Cathedral
Darwin - St Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral
Geraldton - St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Hobart - St Mary's Cathedral
Lismore - St Carthege's Cathedral
Maitland & Newcastle - Sacred Heart Cathedral
Melbourne - St Patrick's Cathedral
Parramatta - St Patrick's Cathedral
Perth - St Mary's Cathedral
Port Pirie - St Mark's Cathedral
Rockhampton - St Joseph's Cathedral
Sale - St Mary's Cathedral
Sandhurst (Bendigo) - Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sydney - St Mary's Cathedral
Toowoomba - St Patrick's Cathedral
Townsville - Sacred Heart Cathedral
Wagga Wagga - St Michael the Archangel's Cathedral
Wilcannia & Forbes - Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral
Wollongong - St Francis Xavier Cathedral

5 = St Mary's
5 = St Patrick's

Thanks for the list ... why didn't Geelong make the grade?

St Mary of the Angels in Geelong is largest "non cathedral" in Australia! i think a bishop has to reside there to become a cathedral. apparently it will be only a matter of time.
i love the 64m bluestone spire! It was unique with its construction as it was built from inside out.no scaffolding on outside but 2 guys building from inside the spire!

http://users.pipeline.com.au/stmarys/church.jpg

St Mary of the Angels in Geelong is largest "non cathedral" in Australia! i think a bishop has to reside there to become a cathedral. apparently it will be only a matter of time.
i love the 64m bluestone spire! It was unique with its construction as it was built from inside out.no scaffolding on outside but 2 guys building from inside the spire!



Certainly commands the area for tens of km around ... how did they manage to place the top bit: did one wear it as a hat?

^ the cross went on when the builder climbed to the top after stonework was complete.pretty hairy stuff

I agree, Geelong should become its own Diocese especially with such a large poopulation and wonderul cathedral, oops, church!

And Mr C, according to the 2004 Official Catholic Directory in my office, Sts Peter & Pauls is not a Cathedral.

And according to the official web site www.cangoul.catholic.org.au

"Ss. Peter and Paul's, the former cathedral of the archdiocese..."

There are some interesting photos of St Mary's Geelong under construction at this address : http://users.pipeline.com.au/stmarys/history.htm

I couldn't find any confirmed dimensions but it looks like it is about 200 feet long. Another problem when comparing dimensions is that some are internal dimensions and others are external:

I have always felt (having been an alter boy at both) that St Mary's Star of The Sea, West Melbourne seemed larger than St Ignatiius Richmond; the only info I have been able to find are;

West Melbourne: (all inner dimensions) length 175 feet, transcept length, 94 feet, transcept width 36 feet nave & aisles 68 feet, floor to ceiling height 60 feet;

Richmond: (all external dimensions) length 206 feet, nave & aisle width 64 feet, transcept length 104 feet, floor to roof ridge 65 feet.

What are the dimensions mentioned above for other churches; are they internal or external dimensions?

i have compiled a detailed list of largest 60 churches/cathedrals in Australia. took me years. most dimensions are internal.
my dimensions are from outer wall to outer wall. true measurements!
St Marys in Geelong is 67m long /220ft) x 38.5m 126ft) wide (transepts).
St marys in west melbourne is a great building. ive been sent many detailed photos plus plans for a model i did.
It measures 60m long x 32.5m wide.
St Ignatious is also huge! 62m long x 32m wide.
all these 3 are about same size. hard to dicifer which is larger. volume? ext all are approx 1,800sqm.
even Darwins St marys is over 200ft long (62m).
Ive found with my research that alot of big churches in Australia reach 150ft or 45m long. this seemed a good length to house the worshippers ect and was a typical plot of land in the CBD.. Some reach 200ft/61m long and only a few 75m/250ft+.

Aren't we forgetting one?

http://student.ulb.ac.be/~shill/recreation/photos/st_peters1_.jpg

St Peters In Adelaide?

Didn't do the Anglican list today. Sorry.

Francis Xavier Cathedral, Adelaide. You'll notice the cleaner appearance of the top of the belltower - it was extended a bit under 10 years ago. It was originally planned for that height, but the money ran dry during construction.

http://smicik.customer.netspace.net.au/woo2.jpg

Digging around my hard drive for St Peters now.

Adelaide has some amazing churches. In the 1860's Adelaide had some of Australia's tallest structures being these tall churches. St Andrews and original maughan church were 150ft tall but had to be pulled down after the 1954 quake.
The St Francis xavier in adelaide now has its 36m tall tower. i really wish the 60m spire would complete the design but cant see it.
St peters is so slim with unusual 42m high lantern and original front of church.

the 40m high bethlehem lutheran church on Flinders st has a unique spire.>
it was built 1872 with bluestone and stucco
http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-tmp/rt18910-20680.jpg

the Holy trinity church is old eccelastical bldg in SA.dates from 1845.
http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-tmp/rt18862-20857.jpg

Sorry if this has already been posted, but here's a top site on Australian cathedrals:

http://www.ccinsurances.com.au/cathedrals/index.html

one of the few bldgs to survive Cyclone Tracy!
the bunker- like St marys in darwin.
http://www.ccinsurances.com.au/cathedrals/images/st_marys_d_cbig.jpg

St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral

5 Gisborne Street, Melbourne
Architects: 1858–1869 William Wardell (nave and aisles);
1860-97 William Wardell (transepts, sanctuary, chapels and sacristy);
1936-40 WP Conolly and GW Vanheems (three spires & west porch remodeling);
1989-96 Falkinger Andronas P/L (restoration)

Aerials
http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/Aerial7.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/NorthEastAerial1.jpg

Below are photographs I’ve taken myself of the mighty St. Pats.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's1.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's2.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's3.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's4.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's5.jpg

Thanks Coll, one the mightest cathedrals in Australia although Cull always reckons St Marys in Sydney is better.

^ hey i didnt say better, i just like it. its longer and designed by same architect. (W Wardell). love the Blusetone.
both a great buildings!

Took this one god knows when:

St Pete's

http://smicik.customer.netspace.net.au/sp.jpg

original size:

http://smicik.customer.netspace.net.au/sp2.jpg

^ hey i didnt say better, i just like it. its longer and designed by same architect. (W Wardell). love the Blusetone.
both a great buildings!

LOL. 'It's longer'

i do like too, it's a great looking building.

but going on yr theory, patties is wider and much taller so...

in all seriousness, i think they are the two best examples in the country, its just a question of which u like more.

but i just love the shear height of patties spires.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

bump

another one of the great cathedrals in OZ. The 3rd highest spire at 86m belongs to Bendigos Sacred heart cathedral.
The 36m spire of the uniting church even looks small compared, located at right/

http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/1193/sacred8js.jpg

can anyone guess this cathedral interior?

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5776/stmarysperth5pg.jpg

one of my fav oz cathedrals. the Sacred heart Catholic cathedral in bendigo.
It has such a prominent location. Its striking central spire is 30 years old next year and is 3rd highest in OZ!


http://static.flickr.com/112/288145233_6d8fa7d5cf_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/93/247363523_6b0f39ab1b_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/18/71062190_dd1983534d_b.jpg

Brisbane doesn't have any big cathederals - many of Queenslands regional centers do have much bigger cathederals than Brisbane though. Ipswich has the biggest cathederal in SEQ.

jt

Um...wrong...both of Brisbanes Cathedrals are larger than the cathedral in Ipswich. Both St Stephen's and St John's can hold approximately 1000 people. St John's also has a four manual pipe organ (approx 5000 pipes) and st stephen's a three manual organ (2500 pipes). St Stephens's has one of the finest collections of stained glass in Australia and St John's has the largest stone vault in the Southern Hemisphere. Both very significant Cathedral...you might like to visit one sometime.

The best Cathedral by a long shot, Australia should have had it. It would have been a marvel.
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2459/dsc00600br3.jpg
Designed by Hawk the man who designed Geraltons cathederal, It was the original plan for Perths Cathedral, but the design was changes while he presented it to the Pope. The New Bishop of Perth wanted a cheap Gothic design and this Wonder was never built. Shocking considering we still dont have a complete cathedral and even when it is done, id still bulldoze the heap of junk.

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/7666/dsc00602ug3.jpg

Text from Melbourne Architecture

St. Paul's Cathedral

2 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Architects: 1880-91 William Butterfield, Reed and Barnes
1912 Walter Butler (choir)
1926-31 James Barr (spires)

Built to replace Charles Webb’s St Paul’s Church and located on the site of the first official church service in Melbourne in 1836, St Paul’s Cathedral has continued the site’s history as the centre of the Church of England in Victoria.
Designed in 1878 by eminent English Gothic Revival architect William Butterfield (who never visited Australia and who also designed Adelaide’s Anglican cathedral), St Paul’s is one of his larger commissions, although it was not completed to his original design – the existing spires are not those of Butterfield.
He had envisaged an octagonal crossing tower and two saddle-backed west towers, which would have given an altogether different feeling – a more rugged, robust and some might say even primitive Gothic evocation.
Instead, Sydney architect James Barr provided the conventional Gothic spires and in a different stone to Butterfield’s bold contrasting textures of Waurns Pond and Barrabool sandstones (described as ‘polytexture’) which feature on the chequered western façade (in fact, south façade due to having to conform to Melbourne’s street grid).
Despite this, the interior is almost entirely Butterfield and is a triumph of Gothic Revival architecture inspired by the vibrant striped polychromy of Italian Gothic cathedral interiors.
Butterfield’s philosophy of an increasing decorative hierarchy is realised at St Paul’s.
Encaustic tiled floors and wainscoting give way to marble and glass mosaic as one moves closer to the altar. The kauri pine ceiling, while fine in workmanship and execution, was not part of the Butterfield design. He resigned from the commission in 1888 after a disagreement with the Cathedral Erection Board Committee, but his work was continued in 1888 in an honorary capacity by Joseph Reed of Reed Henderson & Smart (later Reed, smart & Tappin).
The adjacent four-storey Chapter House and Diocesan Offices were also designed by Butterfield and complement the cathedral design.
While St Paul’s Cathedral has a mixed architectural pedigree, its skyline of spires is a much–loved Melbourne landmark.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/1stStPaul's.jpg

Above, St Paul’s Church at the corner of Swanston and Flinders Streets photographed in 1870, later demolished for the erection of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

St. Paul’s Cathedral before Spires.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/Swanston3.jpg

After Spires were added.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPaul's5.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/StPaul's2.jpg

William Butterfield’s 1878 original more primitive gothic design for St Paul’s towers that were never built and below for comparison,
the spires we did get, designed by James Barr and built between 1926 and 1931.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPaul's6.jpg

The interior.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPaul's7.jpg

Spire at night.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/StPaul's1.jpg

Lastly one of my own photographs, looking south from the north-east corner of Collins and Swanston Streets.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/Swanston3.jpg

Text from Melbourne Architecture

St. Patrick's Cathedral

5 Gisborne Street, Melbourne
Architects: 1858–1869 William Wardell (nave and aisles);
1860-97 William Wardell (transepts, sanctuary, chapels and sacristy);
1936-40 WP Conolly and GW Vanheems (three spires & west porch remodeling);
1989-96 Falkinger Andronas P/L (restoration)

One of the world’s largest Gothic Revival churches, St Patrick’s Cathedral is also the finest work of architect William Wilkinson Wardell (1823-1899) and one of his earliest commissions on arrival in Australia in 1858.
Having sold his practice and emigrated to Australia’s warmer climate for health reasons, Wardell had quickly gained two prestigious commissions: St Patrick’s Cathedral and St John’s College, Sydney (1859-1935).At the same time, he won the position of inspector–clerk of Public works in 1859, and then the next year was promoted to Inspector-General with rights to private practice.
London-born, Wardell, a Roman Catholic since 1843, had already completed 30 churches in England between 1846 and 1858, and it is almost certain that he would have come under the sway of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, the great Catholic promoter of Gothic Revival architecture in England.
It is not surprising that he should have been encouraged by James Goold, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, to propose colossal plans for the third St Patrick’s Church on its elevated site in East Melbourne.
St Patrick’s Cathedral was completed over 80 years from 1858 until 1940. It is the largest church building in Victoria and the centre of the Roman Catholic Church in the state.
The nave and aisles followed an English Gothic idiom, while transepts, sanctuary, chapels and sacristry were based on the 14th-century French models such as Amiens and Rouen cathedrals.
It is this latter influence which gives the cathedral its dramatic east end of apsidal chevet chapels, while internally the spatial flow of the ambulatory, chapels and sanctuary is masterful.
Outside flying buttresses and large windows with geometric tracery relieve the mighty walls of Footscray bluestone. Almost all the stained glass was supplied by Hardman of Birmingham.
The three reinforced concrete spires faced in stone (revisions of Wardell’s original designs and taller by 27 m) were added between 1936 and 1940, rising above Parliament House in Bourke Street and terminating the axis of Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/StPat's1.jpg
Above and below, before spires.
http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/StPats2.jpg

After spires were added.
http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPat's4.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPat's5.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/StPat's6.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/Aerial7.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/NorthEastAerial1.jpg

Below, my own photographs of the mighty St. Pat’s.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's1.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's2.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's3.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's4.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StPatrick's5.jpg

Shots I took of the Sacred heart Catholic cathedral in Bendigo a couple of years ago.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/Suburbs%20and%20Regional/slides/Bendigo1.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/Suburbs%20and%20Regional/slides/Bendigo2.jpg

can anyone guess this cathedral interior?

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5776/stmarysperth5pg.jpg
Perth's St Mary's Cathedral?

^yep.
hey whats happening with the cathedral? years ago i enquired about the new design and they said they were buldozing the oldest section and adding the gothic front and towers.
i noticed on website it wasys its uc and will be for 18months after last mass on aug 27, 2006.

the new front will have twin towers 40m high

http://www.perthcatholic.org.au/assets/images/stmarydrawing.gif

It's just patching up the un finished sides. It looks quite bad, old and new(lame new).

Drove past today. It's definitely underway. Haven't heard much on it though. There was a 'unofficial' render floating around and yeah, lame comes to mind. The second tower was a modern day version if you get my drift. But as said, we (I) haven't seen any official renders.

St Stephen's Cathedral (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Stephen%27s_Cathedral%2C_Brisbane), Brisbane -

http://static.flickr.com/112/258521683_845d7ca738.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/26/46582031_ee46daca0c.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/52/168306089_79125748b9_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/62/200639070_bb7c5861fa.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/20/73509050_458f19e800.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/74/172539509_1d0aaa5cc5.jpg?v=0

http://www.cathedralofststephen.org.au/img/front.jpg


Real shame this did not go ahead, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Name_Cathedral%2C_Brisbane



St John's Cathedral (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John%27s_Cathedral%2C_Brisbane), Brisbane -

http://static.flickr.com/113/298714913_8468a95300.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/124/321989457_0f5275b698.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/113/304633768_4f01482bb7.jpg?v=1164669570

http://static.flickr.com/126/321994260_c429e825d4.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/105/298720692_adf725d7eb.jpg?v=0

I'm not sure exactly, but I heard it was the only heritage listed building still under construction in the country, or perhaps just the city. It does however have the only stone vaulted ceiling in Australia.

^^
Those are fabulous photos of St. Stephen's...particularly the one featuring the chairs. That little building on the left of the cathedral is my where I work.

The foundations stones for the Cathedral of the Holy Name are now located is the grounds of St. Stephen's. Some of the furnishings from the Holy Name crypt were recently moved into the old choir room under st stephen's.

^^
That little building on the left of the cathedral is my where I work.
Do you mean the Francis Rush Centre?

http://static.flickr.com/95/217620269_ec9f30f88d.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/38/217620270_dcba3efb89_o.jpg

Those are fabulous photos of St. Stephen's
The photographs are either from the official Cathedral site or Flickr...

australias got some real beauties...

i really like the one in Bendigo in Country Victoria.

the twin spires of Stephens were rebuilt a in 1889? and are made from firbeglass.
Sy Johns is a great cathedral,

[QUOTE=NewUrban;10887423]Do you mean the Francis Rush Centre?

That's the one. Every room has floor to ceiling glass with great views of the cathedral. Quite nice.

St Marys Sydney
as seen fom lev41 restaurant,Chifley sq

http://static.flickr.com/1/124591650_46fcf87c9c_o.jpg

Here's a photo of The Cathedral of St. Stephen, Brisbane during the 6:00pm mass on christmas eve...there wasn't even standing room...
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/hmmm_021/IMGP1242.jpg

more photos of brisbanes beauties...
st stephen's organ with maintenance lights on for tuning
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/hmmm_021/IMGP1181.jpg
American jazz pianist Orin Grossman playing Gerswin with the west window in the background
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/hmmm_021/John023.jpg
The old Cathedral School on Charlotte Street...now housing Archdiocese offices
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/hmmm_021/IMGP1059.jpg
canadian conductor with nave windows in the background
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/hmmm_021/IMGP0186.jpg
The newly completed West end of St. John's...100 years in the making
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/hmmm_021/IMGP1131.jpg
detail of the millenium window in the west end of st johns
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/hmmm_021/pic_millenium_window2.jpg
Artists impression of completed St. John's with spires
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/hmmm_021/pic_vision_cathedral.jpg

May not be a cathedral but not bad for a city of 12,000 people.
St Mary's Catholic church in Bairnsdale.

http://www.gippslandtourism.com.au/Bairnsdale/church.jpg

It was featured in ABC's Encounter program 2002

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/relig/enc/stories/s673090.htm

yes ,one of my fav churches in Australia. the 43m tower is awesome.
such great detail and a great landmark for Bairnsdale. the interior ceiling is incredible. took 5 years to achieve.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/126/336087509_24f2568ac2_b.jpg

one of the finest country cathedrals of NSW is set to get its long awaited spire! along with $2mil restoration.:banana:
The St Carthages Catholic Cathedral of Lismore (designed by W WArdell) will get a landmark copper 22m spire atop its 24m bell tower totalling 46m/150ft!

http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-tmp/rt48048-27950.jpg

from Northern Star
http://northernstar.com.au/pics/ACFUBA0Qaiq0.jpg

$2m CATHEDRAL RESCUE MISSION

By WILL JACKSON

THE Catholic Church is to spend an estimated $2 million to save St Carthage’s Cathedral from long-term deterioration.

The project will also see the construction of a steeple on the cathedral’s bell tower, which was part of the building’s original plans.

Administrator Father Dennis Carroll yesterday said crumbling ornamental brickwork had made repair work essential to ensure the iconic building’s future.

"If it is not done, the cathedral won’t last another 100 years," he said.

Fr Carroll said the project would include the construction of the steeple, completing the original architect’s 100-year-old vision.

The extension, which will add another third to the tower’s 24.2 metres, is to be constructed of steel, copper cladding and marine ply.

"We’re going to be changing Lismore’s skyline," said Fr Carroll.

A makeover is also planned for the cathedral’s interior. Permanent furnishings, including a new marble alter, will replace temporary measures implemented following changes in Catholic religious regulations in the early 1960s.

Fr Carroll said the Diocese of Lismore was in advanced stages of planning with work expected to begin early next year, conditional on Heritage Council and Lismore City Council approval.

He said the figure of $2 million was an estimate, which would be revised after proper quotes had been obtained.

The Catholic Church would fund the work subsidised by heritage grants obtained from the State and Federal governments, he said.

The diocese has commissioned Sydney consultants Conybeare Morrison to guide the project. It would be a ‘work in progress’ continuing over several years, Fr Carroll said.

Earlier this week a heritage conservationist hired by Conybeare Morrison examined the building’s exterior and determined it was in good shape, considering its age, but there was still significant deterioration of decorative elements.

The fear is that moisture could eventually seep in and destroy structural brickwork.

Fr Carroll said the work would disrupt some functions, including weddings, already booked in the next year.

"I’m going to have to use all my diplomatic skills to soothe what I expect to be some very miffed brides-to-be," he said.

The original architects Wardell and Denning designed the cathedral in the 1890s, under the guidance of Bishop Doyle, with a spire extending from the tower. His successor, Bishop Carroll (no relation), chose to leave off the final addition to a later generation.

Been watching St Johns evolve for years now, walk pass it everyday, I read somewhere they've recently changed project managers (last one retired after 12 years from memory). It looks much neater now the scaff has been wrapped up, crane is in and spire slowly going up.

Its also the ceremony venue for my up coming wedding :)

I also love walking around the grassed/garden areas of St Stephens, it appers so peaceful even with the hussle and bussle of the CBD on the streets adjacent.

yes, st john the devine is one our great cathedrals. congrats on your upcoming wedding. nice spot.
just on the new spire for ST Carthages, i went into lands dept today and checked the DA. great drawings. the spire will be one the tallest in oz at 51m.
should be a real landmark in sunny Lismore.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/428856444_0df8df4a32.jpg?v=0

I thought I heard that there was meant to be a 3rd Spire on St Mary's (Sydney) on the centre tower, is this right? and if so, are they looking at building it?

Two recent pics of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/adonline/416269863_1513171829_o.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/adonline/416269859_711efccd1f_o-1.jpg

^Sacred heart is magnificent

I thought I heard that there was meant to be a 3rd Spire on St Mary's (Sydney) on the centre tower, is this right? and if so, are they looking at building it?
nah, st marys cathedral has never had a 3rd spire design.just the central bell tower.the 2x 74m southern spires were always part of the design thats why they were built.

Edwardian postcards of St Paul’s (no spires).

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/StPaul's1.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/StPaul's2.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/StPaul's3.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/StPaul's4.jpg

Dont much like St Pauls on the inside with all those fugly tiles.St Pats is by far the most impressive church in Melbourne.

^Sacred heart is magnificent


nah, st marys cathedral has never had a 3rd spire design.just the central bell tower.the 2x 74m southern spires were always part of the design thats why they were built.

When the appeal first started for the St Mary's spires back in the mid 90s, I did see an option put forward by the diocece or the parish for a tall metal clad spire for the central bell tower. It may never have gotten to council but it was an option. It looked quite impressive from memory.

Yes, very early on, there was a proposal to build a glass spire over the centre of teh Cathedral, but that was quickly put away after an outcry of "how can you" and "how dare you". Thank goodness it was never built!

Tony Doherty: Some aspects of the Wardell design are going to be amended, mainly to bring the working of the stone into 20th century technology and to also take the required precautions for seismic reinforcement of the towers themselves. So although the stones themselves are going to be the same pattern and design as originally intended in 1860-65, they'll have a steel armature inside which will protect the structure in the event of an earthquake.

Lyn Gallacher: I just ask this because some of our listeners will remember that there were some fairly wild and radical plans a little while ago that got scrapped, about having glass spires.

Trevor Waters: What the idea was, it's a fascinating idea by the way, was to have a single glass spire on the central tower, not on these two southerntowers, and perhaps an architect can describe this better, but my understanding of it is, Gothic cathedrals are designed on light; light is a very powerful, significant reason for Gothic cathedrals. Well a young architect, some three or four years ago, said 'How about a glass spire which will bring light into the cathedral, even more light, and at night be lit to bring light to the city?' So while it sounded strange perhaps, and many people crinkle up their nose at it, it really fitted in to the tradition of created Gothic architecture, and who knows? the tower's still vacant. By the way, I don't want to raise this matter again because indeed we have made the decision for stone spires, but the option is still there for, at some future time, another generation of Catholics.

Lyn Gallacher: This is obviously where changing cathedrals gets tricky, because you have to take the people with you, don't you? I know that there's a lot of argy bargy going on in the Ballarat cathedral at the moment, with proposed changes to the High Altar.

Trevor Waters: Oh yes, in fact we have this before us here. The liturgical design of a long Gothic cathedral does not suit the understanding of the liturgy and worship that the Catholic community have today. In one word, the long Gothic cathedral is designed to have the mystery celebrated a long way from the people, who are passive spectators.

Tony Doherty: The creation of a cathedral is a creation of sacred art. The cathedral in Sydney is held in high esteem by a large number of people in Sydney, of all denominations, and the completion of these spires not only completes it as an urban artwork and offers a very great gesture as an urban piece of art, it also completes the building in terms of it being sacred art, but it doesn't preclude that in the future, as we develop new liturgical practices, that this artwork shouldn't be adjusted and modified to be appropriate for every century. So that it speaks to every group of people. And that's why I think the idea of the glass spire is a very powerful gesture-left for someone else to do.

From: Radio National Transcripts: The Religion Report, 9 September 1998. "Breathing New Life Into Ancient Tradition" (http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/trr9837.htm)

^ tony doherty is a great guy. i spoke to him about the idea of a cathedral model display. he thought it was ok but when cardinal clancy saw it in person he requestd it be part of the crypt forever amen!

Here is a list of all the Catholic Cathedrals in Australia

Adelaide - St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Armidale - St Mary & St Joseph's Cathedral
Ballarat - St Patrick's Cathedral
Bathurst - St Michael & St John's Cathedral
Brisbane - St Stephen's Cathedral
Broken Bay - Corpus Christi Cathedral
Broome - Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathedral
Bunbury - St Patrick's Cathedral
Cairns - St Monica's Cathedral
Canberra & Golburn - St Christopher's Cathedral
Darwin - St Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral
Geraldton - St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Hobart - St Mary's Cathedral
Lismore - St Carthage's Cathedral
Maitland & Newcastle - Sacred Heart Cathedral
Melbourne - St Patrick's Cathedral
Parramatta - St Patrick's Cathedral
Perth - St Mary's Cathedral
Port Pirie - St Mark's Cathedral
Rockhampton - St Joseph's Cathedral
Sale - St Mary's Cathedral
Sandhurst (Bendigo) - Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sydney - St Mary's Cathedral
Toowoomba - St Patrick's Cathedral
Townsville - Sacred Heart Cathedral
Wagga Wagga - St Michael the Archangel's Cathedral
Wilcannia & Forbes - Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral
Wollongong - St Francis Xavier Cathedral

5 = St Mary's
5 = St Patrick's


The St Patricks Cathedral in Bunbury can be removed from this list since it was demolished 2yrs ago being damage beyond repair by a tornado. A new one will be built hopefully this year.

Some Catholic Church trivia!

The Diocese of Sandhurst (which covers Bendigo) is so-called because Bendigo was initially called Sandhurst. Although the city name was changed, the name of the Diocese never was!

Melbourne's first cathedral was St Francis' Church (shown below), which is Victoria's oldest Catholic Church.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/adonline/400411559_0b3cf3e241_o.jpg

Some older, historic photos of St Francis' Church

Ladye Chapel (http://www.stfrancismelbourne.org/photo-gallery/ladye-chapel/ladye_chapel.htm)
http://www.stfrancismelbourne.org/photos/history/84.jpg

North east corner Lonsdale & Elizabeth Sts
http://www.stfrancismelbourne.org/photos/history/3.jpg

Sanctury
http://www.stfrancismelbourne.org/photos/history/134.jpg

http://www.stfrancismelbourne.org/photos/history/70.jpg

Current interior of the nave
http://www.stfrancismelbourne.org/images/interiors/church-nave-sanctuary.jpg

St Marys Catholic Cathedral in Bairnsdale has some spectacular murals by Francesco Floreani painted during the depression. The tower was completed in 1937.

http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/images/bairnsdale/photos/08.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/St_marys_-_bairnsdale02.jpg/800px-St_marys_-_bairnsdale02.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/32/46287869_3b06d02358.jpg?v=0

http://home.myaccess.com.au/~keldyn/blog/stmarys.jpg

http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/images/bairnsdale/photos/07.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/St-Mary%27s-RC-Church-Bairnsdale-Vic.jpg/450px-St-Mary%27s-RC-Church-Bairnsdale-Vic.jpg

St Marys Catholic Cathedral in Bairnsdale has some spectacular murals by Francesco Floreani painted during the depression.

This is not a Cathedral, its a Parish Church. The Cathedral is in Sale.

St. John's Cathedral Construction Update:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h11/KJBrissy/Construction%20update%2030%20Mar%202007/Imgp0185.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h11/KJBrissy/Construction%20update%2030%20Mar%202007/Imgp0186.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h11/KJBrissy/Construction%20update%2030%20Mar%202007/Imgp0187.jpg

thanks for updates.

new landmark in downtown Woy Woy. the new St Johns catholic church. had ists stower and cross put up on friday. now 25m tall
beuatiful zinc cladding is great idea.
the smudge is on my windscreen

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/174/466975089_289c3b84ef_b.jpg

This thread is great.

Greetings from Paraguay, South America.

I like the appearance of that new St. John's Catholic Church in Woy Woy, but I think the support for the cross is a bit of over-kill. It looks like too much to support that flimsy cross, and in itself doesn't look attractive nor interesting IMHO.

Here are two recent shots of mine from St. Francis' in Melbourne...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/adonline/StFrancisNight.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/adonline/StFrancisNight_Interior.jpg

I also went to Geelong on Anzac Day, and here are two shots of the St. Mary of the Angles Basilica... I am not so keen on the exterior of this cathedral. Just a bit too much bluestone for my taste. The first photo is of the rear of the church as the sun was in the wrong place to get the front...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/adonline/StMarysGeelong2.jpg

And what a dark interior! This is a lovely church on the inside, but is SERIOUSLY dark... this was a struggle to photograph without a tripod, but a 0.1 second exposure on ISO 800 nailed it!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/adonline/StMarysGeelong.jpg

Cheers! :cheers2:

Nice work guys. I love churches, so serene.

great pix olderlfeet. St Mary of Angels is an amazing structure. unusual with using all that bluestone. Incidentally, the spire was built by 2 guys from the inside out.Normally scaffold is used on outside but they decided to use internal scafold and buid it that way. such a landmark.
Just on woy woy church. You wil find most church towers are double the height of the nave. This tower isnt quite double. but i love the SWFC window near top. this will become more evident as it gets cladding.
cheers

tallest twin spires in australia
lovely st marys today
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/220/482235795_5c9d149d9d_b.jpg

St. Ignatius in Richmond has pretty high spire, surprised that nobody has mentioned it yet..

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/68/Stigsspire.jpg

^thats beacuse this thread was called great cathedrals of Australia, but it started to go quiet, so i recently included churches in tthread title.
yes St Ignatious is a great church. Another of William Wardells great bldgs.
Its 65m spire was highest in Australia in 1928.

St Josephs, Benalla:
http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/doi/hvolr.nsf/LUDL/H0845/$file/1_st_josephs_benalla_front_view.jpg

^yeah thats such an unusual church. baroque/ cross/romanesque?
lopped sided towers.maybe ran out of money.lol
Built in 1908, it was guttered by fire in 1989.
the tall cupola reaches 30m.

lol Clutching at straws hey cul....They maybe tall twins but they're babies compared to st pats, st pauls and even Sacred Heart in Bendigo


tallest twin spires in australia
lovely st marys today
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/220/482235795_5c9d149d9d_b.jpg

babies? not really 74m each. all other church spires are central towers which are supposed to be tall, ie Sacred Heart central spire- 86m, st pauls-96m,st pats 105m
secondary spires
st marys-74m
st pats-65m
st pauls-56m
sacred heart-40m
St marys central tower would have to be 1320m to look balanced, but wardell never envisaged a central tower/spire. just 50m bell tower.
its all good

lol Clutching at straws hey cul....They maybe tall twins but they're babies compared to st pats, st pauls and even Sacred Heart in Bendigo

Quote from Dean.
St mary's is lovely but i still prefer St Pat's. It just looks bigger. those massive spires do the trick.

Now that is clutching at straws.
St Mary's is bigger, it seats more people, it is larger in square metres, it is a fitting cathedral for the Mother church to Australias catholic community.
St Pats does have a beautiful big spire. But this is like saying that the roof on the homebush stadium is higher so it just looks bigger than the MCG.

^^ lol ... You guys can have short and fat..
give me tall and slim any day.

actually, St Pats has same height roof as St marys which is approx 30m/100ft. St marys looks low because its 107m long. St Pats does have wider transepts (49m) as opposed to st marys (38m)
its all good,

st Stephens(1874), Newtown.classic Blacket church dominates the townscape.
thev40m spire needs a facelift. one of the only churches in sydney to be wholey completed as per plans. most wait 50 years for a tower or 2nd half of nave. ect.
set amongst 1800 graves. some famous. including blackets

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/216/503216507_e1ade2e796_o.jpg

A long-running thread! The cathedrals of melbourne have featured pretty well here, but to placate the Protestants, here's a few other central Melbourne churches ... many of these are the "Mother Church" for Victoria for the various denominations (and some look good too!)

Under the shadow of St. Pat's: The German Lutheran Church, Gisborne St. (St. Pat's in the background):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/lutheran_0909.jpg

And just across the road: St. Peter's Anglican Church ... also somewhat overshadowed :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/stpeters_4172.jpg

Note the abundance of Melbourne bluestone

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/stpeters_5043.jpg

Left: Close by: not a church but a synagogue, Albert Street.

Right: Swanston St.'s other church apart from St. Paul's cathedral: The Church of Christ (1863)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/emsyn_4173.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/spacer446.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/coc_4181.jpg

Three other churches in Collins St., all within a block of St. Paul's: Scot's Church & St. Michael's:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/collins_5334.jpg

Left: The Collins St. Baptist church (1862): where to go if you want to get a message to the Treasurer

Right: Detail of Scot's Continuing Presbyterian Church (1874)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/baptist_0490.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/spacer446.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/scots_2900.jpg

The Assembly Hall adjoining Scot's Church:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/assembly5337.jpg

St Michael's Uniting (former congregrational) Church, at the foot of 120 Collins St. (1867):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/stmichaels_2902.jpg

There are two other Catholic churches in the CBD: St Francis's, covered earlier, and St. Augustines (1869):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/staugustines_5399.jpg

Wesley Uniting (forrmerly Methodist) Church, Lonsdale Street (1853):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/wesley4177.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/spacer.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/wesley5501.jpg

The Welsh Presbyterian Church, Latrobe Street:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/welsh4710.jpg

Down St. Kilda Road: the Christian Science Temple:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/christianscience5663.jpg

And the synagogue:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/churches/synagogue_5649.jpg

Still missing: St. James Old cathedral, moved stone by stone from William Street to King Street.

My fave is Saint Francis in Melbourne. Oldest stained glass windows in Oz & the most exquisate paintings of the stations of the cross. Funny becuase the outside looks quite unpretentious.

We used to have a nice catholic church in Morwell pre the 70's, looked similar to Bairnsdales but it did not have such a high tower. Then they demolished it to make way for a larger, modern grey monstrocity which has probably come back to haunt them as it is eternally dark, cold & cavernous. In short, it is horrid. The old one is sorly missed.

A few from Maitland area...

St Mary's Anglican Maitand

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/7653/stmarysmaitfo1.jpg

Maitland Methodist

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/9990/methmaitpj0.jpg

St Peters Anglican East Maitland

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/7661/stpetermaitxr0.jpg

St James Anglican Morpeth

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/9417/stjamesmorpethho4.jpg

Roman Catholic Church Morpeth

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/5195/cathmorpco6.jpg

ta messed up. love st marys in MAitland. the 38m spire is such a landmark. see it from everywhere.

anyone guess where this great church is?
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/416235491_22e252543a_b.jpg

the wor goes on,.. east tower of St marys cathedral

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1306/541937121_84a1cccab5_b.jpg

What more restoration at St Mary's?

yeah seems to be ongoing. after the spires in 2001, the transepts were done and now southern towers. i think roof is next

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/342239586_f072839c22_b.jpg

http://web.aanet.com.au/nmharrison/melbourne%20winter/cathedral%20forum.jpg

great shot grol.

I Dont think iv seen any of St Mary's Perth yet. But here goes:
Current:
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/2859/lrginternal2ta8.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lrginternal2ta8.jpg)
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5324/lrginternal3gv9.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lrginternal3gv9.jpg)
http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/510/lrginternal1ss9.jpg (http://img50.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lrginternal1ss9.jpg)
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/94/lrgexternal1bu5.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lrgexternal1bu5.jpg)

Current Redevelopment:
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5146/stoq6.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=stoq6.jpg)
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5568/stmarysrh5.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=stmarysrh5.jpg)
http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/6/stmarys1jb6.jpg (http://img50.imageshack.us/my.php?image=stmarys1jb6.jpg)

my local catholic church (ST Johns) of woy woy is progressing well. It is so striking. ive never seen a church like it. the $4.5mil well spent. definatley a church building for future generations.
the 26m tower reminds me of SWFC.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1031/861789069_36c1b0d877_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1392/861788999_1d3442a6d5.jpg?v=0

There are at least three, maybe more. For some reason
the St John The Baptist Serbian Orthodox Church is the largest and most elaborate: bored into a hill by volunteers using opal mining machinery, it has a high vaulted ceiling, some carved ceilings, elaborate stained glass gallery and handsome icon stand.

unordered 153,flickr
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/197209906_df954fc17f_b1.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/197209900_2b2fbbab21_b1.jpg



jeff bellamore, flickr
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/inChurch2.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/477860773_5415ce151d_o1.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/serb031.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/serb021.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/107583-cave-church-coober-pedy-aust.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/cooberchurchoutg1.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/350px-Serbian_Church_Coober_Pedy1.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/serb011.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/church1-1.jpg


Saint Peter and St Paul Catholic Church, where the underground cross is formed by opals

foxgeo2 flickr
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/335010988_7de985ac25_b1.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/197209895_3280184aef_b1.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/CooberCHURCH_2X11.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/picture321.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/CooberCHURCH_2X11.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/812284-Underground_Church-Coober_Pe.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/776330396_7a8dd8b211_b1.jpg


Finally, there's the Anglican Catacomb Church, where the Cross and lectern are made from mulga wood


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/2-2662_Catacomb_Church_Coober_Pedy1.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/2000-11-24-Coober-Pedy_07-Catacomb-.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/2-2663_Inside_Underground_Church1.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrMukherjee/2000-11-24-Coober-Pedy_08-Catacomb-.jpg

^those underground churches are amazing.nice and cool in summer.

souther towers of St Marys
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1304/963959518_530f2413f5.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/1890045647_531a5198e7_b.jpg

43m copper spire of church of st laurence.In 1856 the spire was 2nd tallest structure in sydney.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/165495227_3b58fa77d2_b.jpg

the cloud piercing stone spire of Annandales Hunter Ballie church. Its 56m spire was states tallest for over a century/
Architect Cryil Blacket decided to add 30ft to top so it wouldnt be the "normal" 150ft high thus giving it landmark qualities!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/129/343141133_da9f6133b9_b.jpg

my local catholic church (ST Johns) of woy woy is progressing well. It is so striking. ive never seen a church like it. the $4.5mil well spent. definatley a church building for future generations.
the 26m tower reminds me of SWFC.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1031/861789069_36c1b0d877_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1392/861788999_1d3442a6d5.jpg?v=0

I was up at the coast on the weekend staying at Hardy's Bay/Killcare and drove past this new church and I have to say .... I LOVE IT! I am never a fan of modern churchs but this seems to hold it's own very well. Fantastic! Here is hoping I love St Barnaby's (Broadway) just as much when it is rebuilt.

^yeah its a real landmark. quailty strcture. im going to a service in it soon. cant wait.
woy woy should be privledged to get a building like this.

modern churches need to install aircons god dam it!

nothing worse then sitting there sweating your ass off..

Especially if your at a wedding and your wearing 4-5 layers of clothing.

St Patricks Cathedral, Parramatta.

I didn't get any shots of the interior as there was a mass at the time i took them.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/9307/dscf0764ur0.jpg

New Cathedral

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/9393/dscf0766nh0.jpg

the tallest copper spire in OZ. tallest structure in Australia for over 30 years!
lovely brick work. One of Greenways finest

the 52m spire of St james, sydney
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2236/2070526376_c2068cb892_b.jpg

dont you just love open truss roofs
st marys,sydney
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2149/2083550225_8c736be954_o.jpg

finally went into st johns at woywoy yesterday. magnificent

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/2086880025_7191153f65_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2286/2087663604_86680ea2af_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2202/2087654174_c532f8f214_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2005/2086869561_b2d17c9bab_b.jpg

Wow that is quite amazing. I'm not sure I hold with all this new fangled business of the congregation assembling around the sanctuary... there's something a bit fundamentalist/evangelical about mass in the round. I'm impressed to see they've installed a pipe organ. I didn't expect they would bother. It looks as though the pipes are an old organ that has been reused, it would be interesting to find out...

Wow, this is a really good thread! I love gothic (revival) cathedrals!

St. Patrick's in Melbourne is probably the most beatiful church in the entire world. :drool: :)

Pwoahhh. St Johns is brilliant! Thanks Cul :D

St Mary's? Catholic, Warwick SEQ

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/5421/stmaryskv1.jpg

yes, great rough stone church out in sunny warwick. i had the spire measured a few years ago at 38m. the spire was suposed to be 50m high but they decided to go against plans and do there own desogn whuich is a real let down. would have been a real landmark with really tall spire. but funds kept it low.

Yeah 50m would have really stood out in Warwick, even at 38m it is pretty dominant.

This is just beautiful.

Whilst being modern, airy and contemporary, this design references all that is good in a traditional Catholic church (prominent organ, stain glass windows, Christ on the cross etc). A lovely 21st century expression of Catholic Christianity.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2286/2087663604_86680ea2af_b.jpg

found this on flickr by bugalugsrox.

the spires of Adelaide's St Peter's Catherdal:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2315/1813502631_86a1e7f956_o.jpg

yes, the twin 51m spires of st peters. a familiar scene backdrop when summer cricket is on in adelaide.
still the tallest church spires in SA.the catholic cathedral in the CBD has a planned 60m spire but dont think that will ever go ahead.

these two churches are in the inner Adelaide suburb of Norwood (SilverBlue on flickr):

Clayton Wesley Uniting:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/26/48945134_70dcb72693_b.jpg

Saint Ignatius' Catholic:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/29/48945258_f75028290b_b.jpg

What a fantastic thread... i love victorian era architecture. These churches and cathedrals are beautiful, looks so old. :cheers:

St Ignatious in Norwood is a beautiful church

a few years ago when i was compiling data/info for my book i contacted Clayton United in Beulah park (not norwood) and no one knew the height of church spire. I ended up getting it surveyed as i did with many churches all over Australia. anyone want to guess its height?
the website says wrong height at 38m.
http://www.claytonwesley.org.au/01_home.htm
its 2nd tallest in SA.

Some Ballarat churches

St Peters (Anglican)

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/5719/dscf2019hu2.jpg

St Andrews (Uniting Church)

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/447/dscf1739sq6.jpg

St Patricks Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/7120/dscf1703ux9.jpg

Baptist - Dawson St south

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/5877/dscf1702kt7.jpg

Ballarat Christian Fellowship

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/2206/dscf1405nb5.jpg

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/9846/dscf1478rl5.jpg

St Alipius (Roman Catholic)

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/5228/dscf1513pb5.jpg

A question for Cul Ive just come back from a few days in Sydney and once again when I visited St Marys it was closed - why?

^^Cathedrals can't just be open all the time. All inner city churches have huge security issues (St. Stephen's in Brisbane just had one of its 100 year old windows smashed and someone took to one of the doors with an piece of metal and tore a hole in it) so they can only be open when there are staff on. As with most organisations the cathedral staff are likely to be on holidays between christmas and new years meaning the cathedral can't be open.

^^Cathedrals can't just be open all the time. All inner city churches have huge security issues (St. Stephen's in Brisbane just had one of its 100 year old windows smashed and someone took to one of the doors with an piece of metal and tore a hole in it) so they can only be open when there are staff on. As with most organisations the cathedral staff are likely to be on holidays between christmas and new years meaning the cathedral can't be open.

I thought that Catholic Cathedral/churches are suppossed be open to worshippers at least during daytime.
St Pats and St Pauls in Melbourne are always open to the public during the day.

closed? i didnt think st marys ever closed. its always been open when i visit or walk past. weird

great shots fab. balarat has some great churches
always loved the striking spire of St Andrews. at 42m, its tallest structure in town. (besides the ugle telstra mast)
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/447/dscf1739sq6.jpg

^^As I said the Cathedral staff also need holidays and the building can't be open while no one is there.

I thought that Catholic Cathedral/churches are suppossed be open to worshippers at least during daytime.
St Pats and St Pauls in Melbourne are always open to the public during the day.

Was it a public holiday, as then it's closed after lunch.
http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/Cathedral/times.shtml

A question for Cul Ive just come back from a few days in Sydney and once again when I visited St Marys it was closed - why?

I've just come back from Sydney and was also locked out of St. Mary's on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 December.

^^Cathedrals can't just be open all the time. All inner city churches have huge security issues (St. Stephen's in Brisbane just had one of its 100 year old windows smashed and someone took to one of the doors with an piece of metal and tore a hole in it) so they can only be open when there are staff on. As with most organisations the cathedral staff are likely to be on holidays between christmas and new years meaning the cathedral can't be open.

Disgusting how some people have no respect for church property. :ohno:

closed? i didnt think st marys ever closed. its always been open when i visit or walk past. weird

Yep, definitely closed. I had to wait until mass on Sunday to get in.

There's something not quite right about being locked out of a church...

Was it a public holiday, as then it's closed after lunch.
http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/Cathedral/times.shtml

St Marys is open from the first mass of the day until after the last mass has concluded. To be locked out is bizzare. With the renovations entry may be restricted at times.

http://www.stmaryscathedral.org.au/masstimes.html

Brisbane seems to have more "southern European" looking churches. Does anyone know why this is. Many of them look as if they would be right at home in Spain or Latin America. Especially the little ones in the inner suburbs.

http://www.stgregorys.info/picture_library/church.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/Buranda_St_Lukes_Catholic_Church_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/Newstead_Our_Lady_of_Victories_Catholic_Church_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/Nundah_Corpus_Christi_Catholic_Church_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/St_Nicholas_Free_Serbian_Orthodox_Church_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/Woolloongabba_Our_Lady_of_Protection_Ukranian_Catholic_Church_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/Woolloongabba_St_Nicholas_Russian_Orthodox_Cathedral_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/St_Nicholas_Serbian_Orthodox_Church_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/Wooloowin_St_Annes_Catholic_Church_Full.jpg


Southern churches are more northern European or English in comparison with steeples and dark brick/stone.

j

St Johns Anglican added its two 17m spires on Saturday. They look fantastic!! I can actually see them from my rear balcony in New Farm.
http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5915755,00.jpg

J

Beautiful spires of St Pats - taken last night.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/2304423402_ce736eeb38_b.jpg

^^
Melbourne churches are so English looking.

Great pic
J

These are all Orthodox Churches, so they're done in a Byzantine style - domes etc. But you're right the Spanish mission style seems popular in Brisbane. There was a trend for it everywhere in Australia, mostly in the 1920s and 30s. I suppose because it's associated with tropical climates. I went to India recently and travelled to some Christian areas that were full of Spanish-style churches like those in Brisbane.




http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/St_Nicholas_Free_Serbian_Orthodox_Church_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/Woolloongabba_Our_Lady_of_Protection_Ukranian_Catholic_Church_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/Woolloongabba_St_Nicholas_Russian_Orthodox_Cathedral_Full.jpg

http://au.geocities.com/vikingdgt/Brisbane/Churches/St_Nicholas_Serbian_Orthodox_Church_Full.jpg

Romaldo Giurgola, designer of New Parliament House, has created two very beautiful modern churches in Australia. One in Canberra - but I can only get a small, shitty exterior pic, so I won't bother - and the other a re-design of St Patrick's in Parramatta, which was hollowed out by fire.

http://www.architecture.com.au/awards/images/20042077/4.jpg
http://www.architecture.com.au/awards/images/20042077/3.jpg
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/10/28/bishopkevin_wideweb__430x222.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1291/1355721986_a1a503f06b.jpg?v=0
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1123/1355722054_026ee1df48.jpg?v=0
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/2271928923_5c4b992f84.jpg?v=0
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2406/2272808344_64c2b0bcec.jpg?v=0
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1140/869057266_5c2c225b8c.jpg?v=0

St Johns Anglican added its two 17m spires on Saturday. They look fantastic!! I can actually see them from my rear balcony in New Farm.
http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5915755,00.jpg

J
thats great, ive been following st johns progress for 10 years now and finally the spires are on. at 51m high there are the highest in QLD. and equal 12th in Aus with St Peters in Adelaide.

more from flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2303884834_8c16846a0e.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/2303088201_b23d6b5e1b_o.jpg

alot easier then the old days
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/2303884062_1d8b8d5039.jpg?v=0

^^
And its still underconstruction after 102 years!! Its the longest construction project of its kind in Australia.

j

st Johns in brisbane started in 1885 and will be compelted this year, thus 123 years after starting.
St Marys in sydney was constructed in stages from 1868 to 1899, then 1913-1928 and spires were put up in 2000.- thus 133 years!
other long church projects-
St Francis Xaviers, Adelaide-started 1856-tower completed 1996, total 140 years!!!
st pats, melb 1858-97 then spires 1937-39, so 81 years in total.
st pauls-melb-1880-91 then spires 1927-31= 51 years.
sacred heart ,bendigo-1896-1977= 81 years
st carthages, Lismore 1904-1911 ,now building spire, thus completion 2008 or 104 years after starting!

All the official information says St. John's was started in 1906 not 1885. Maybe you're getting it confused with St. Stephen's.

Are there any other major churches that are still not completed i.e spires, bell towers etc?

^many many, lots of churches but cathedrals are mainly completed. some without spires ect.
these days, many think spires or towers are waste of money so funds are allocated to more needy areas.
hmm- i must have read about an earlier church but yes,the foundation stone was laid in 1901.i think there were alot of stop/starts due to funding ect. as with most large cathedrals.

What about St Mary's Cathedral in Perth? That was started in 1863, has been in a state of half completion ever since, with work still ongoing today.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/St_Mary%27s_Catherdral%2C_Perth.JPG/507px-St_Mary%27s_Catherdral%2C_Perth.JPG
Look at the right of the tower, with the incomplete exterior walls from over 90 years ago now.

yes, the perth one has been a disaster. plans are in for new half of St MArys with 40m bell towers but that meant demolition of the old 1870 section which historians are upset about.
theres a website about new chosen design. looks like they wont destroy old section
http://www.stmarysappeal.com.au/building_about.php
The $25mil project will be ready for Easter 2009.
checkout the 3d model>
http://www.stmarysappeal.com.au/tour_home.php
looks like they are erecting a 2
nd tower to complment the first.
construction updates
http://www.stmarysappeal.com.au/gallery/building/content/bin/images/large/_T5P2839.jpg

http://www.stmarysappeal.com.au/art/buildingproject/cathedral_10oclock.jpg

http://www.stmarysappeal.com.au/art/buildingproject/undercroft-render.jpg

original 1930 concept
drawing of western end
http://www.perthcatholic.org.au/assets/images/stmarydrawing.gif

some more major cathedrals/churches that need finishing-
St Marys catholic, West melbourne- spire.
st patricks catholic,toowoomba-tower/spire
st saviours anglican ,goulburn-spire
st marys catholic ,hobart-spire

some more major cathedrals/churches that need finishing-
St Marys catholic, West melbourne- spire.
st patricks catholic,toowoomba-tower/spire
st saviours anglican ,goulburn-spire
st marys catholic ,hobart-spire
you're forgetting st francis xavier's catholic, adelaide ;)

^no didnt forget it.i mentioned it on post 168. the final design did have a 60m spire but this will never happen (contacted office years ago when i was making a model of it), so its completed now after 140 years.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/7985/6136909nt2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
St Joseph's Cathedral

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:121672/web_Rockhampton_266.jpg
St Patrick's Church

http://national.atdw.com.au/multimedia/tq/9000208_2.jpg
The Cathedral in the Capricorn Caves

http://www.rydges.com/images/find-a-hotel/RQCAPR/image-gallery/amenities/large/Chapel.jpg
Rydges Capricorn Resort Church

It is good that St Mary's (Perth) will finally be finished, although I wish they made it a little more semetrical and the new tower was built to look like the existing one. But none the less good work and great news for the area.

those non-symmetrical towers completely ruin it for me. I'd really like it otherwise...

St John's in Brisbane was designed in 1885 and started construction in 1901- hence the date confusion.

http://www.rydges.com/images/find-a-hotel/RQCAPR/image-gallery/amenities/large/Chapel.jpg
Rydges Capricorn Resort Church

^^
That looks absolutely STUNNING!!! That looks like it could be on Tahiti or in the Carribean somewhere.

You have to love some of the exotic locations in Queensland.

J

lofty st marys in sydney
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2126/2221637228_85584accd3_o.jpg

I Love Saint Mary, but my favourite in Sydney is Saint Andrew's, any pictures?

^yes i too like st andrews cathedral. Its cute. its approx half the size of st marys. i love its proportions.if only it was double its dimensions.
E Blacket was a great architect and its one of his finest.
i love the high thin nave
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1035/1042751069_dadbfbaa1f_b.jpg

only a few years ago, the entry was reoponed after 100 years. it was facing george st but now its west face under the 38m tall towers

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2152/2172880927_de7cf670dd_b.jpg

Saint Paddy's Catholic Cathedral. :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/2295940002_1a4463863f_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/2295147361_fa6f75bb39_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/2295940408_c64d3a5d92_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/2295940614_1f5ec8bd65_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3249/2295940796_3e2b184b42_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/2295941122_766eb845a8_o.jpg

Little Anglican church opposite St Pat's.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3169/2295148061_026920af9e_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2152/2172880927_de7cf670dd_b.jpg

Great! Thanks
Love this 2 towers, love its ancient look.

can anyone guess where this gorgeous church is?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2014/2360936910_a5f556140b_b.jpg

Coogee?

yes, st bridgids catholic church
ive measured the tower at over 105ft

the magnificent House of Bahai near Mona vale sydney built 1961
the 40m dome is a landmark seen from far.
one of only 9 in the world
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2511207398_46ca4409ea_b.jpg

I was walking along Macqaurie Street and past St Stephens Church and I wondered, is it actually finished? It looks like it is missing something, does anyone know?

missing? dont think so

I mea n was there ever meant to be a spire or anything else, just feels like it is lacking.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2152/2172880927_de7cf670dd_b.jpg

Also why doesnt this actually face George Street, you would think this would look onto the street, very bizarre.

the main entry to st Andrews was originally at western end (towers end) which is where the street frontage was also.
see old pic>
http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/perier/346/34661r.jpg

but sydney square was created and entry was changed to george st end .
only a few years ago it was changed back to western end.

what a fab shot this is.
the 125ft towers above surrounds back in 19thC

http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/spf/a089/a089994h.jpg

a womens work is never done.
classic print
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an10756629-v

Text from Walking Melbourne
The National Trust guide to the historic and architectural landmarks of central Melbourne

Scots Church
140–154 Collins Street, corner Russell Street, Melbourne.

The Scots Church is a fine example of the Gothic Revival, and was completed in 1873 for the mainly Scottish immigrant Presbyterians; they employed Reed & Barnes who had six years previously designed the remarkable Independent Church (St. Michael’s) across the road, but was equally adept at serving the needs of a more conservative client.

Postcard of Scots Church below.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/1920s-1980s/slides/Scots1.jpg

Four photographs of my own below.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/CollinsEast5.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/Scots1.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/Scots2.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/RussellTowers1.jpg

walking melbourne needs to do more research. Scots church was completed in 1874.
interesting info i collated for my book. Its 64m spire was Australias tallest structure on completion. the top 30ft was dislodged due to being hit by lightning in 1930. (thus the dif colour).

checkout this amazing model. made over 12months in 1878 by Mr J. L. Bolger, of the Public Works Department, and with no other tool than a penknife, http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/imagestudio/0/0/0/im/is000377.jpg

the first scots church from 1841
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/platebk/0/0/0/im/pb000500.jpg

Text from Melbourne Architecture

St. Michael’s Uniting Church
122–125 Collins Street, corner Russell Street, Melbourne
1866-67 Reed and Barnes

The first church in Victoria to be designed in a Lombardic Romanesque style, St Michael’s, or the independent Church, is one of the first major buildings to introduce polychrome brickwork to Melbourne, a design tendency finding some popularity in England at the time amongst architects such as GE Street and William Butterfield, who were influenced by the writings of John Ruskin. The Romanesque style interior was designed to maximize the church’s acoustic properties. It has an amphitheatre-like plan, with surrounding upper galleries and sloped auditorium seating that focus on the pulpit, choir and organ. Externally, the independent Church’s campanile is a fine rendition of the round-arched Romanesque idiom, but it is worth noting that Reed had also submitted a polychrome design in Gothic style to his clients. Reed’s eclectic design is strictly non-conforming; an experimental contrast to his very proper Scots Church across the street. The Independent Church site was also the site of Melbourne’s first permanent church, built in 1839.

An old photograph below.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/StMichael's1.jpg

Three of my own next.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StMichael's1.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StMichael's2.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StMichael's3.jpg

walking melbourne needs to do more research. Scots church was completed in 1874.
Both Melbourne Architecture by Philip Goad and Walking Melbourne by Rohan Storey say 1873.

Both would be the definitive guides to Melbourne's architecture.

Could it be that you are wrong?

Rohan who I know, researches Melbourne's architecture very thoroughly.:yes:

Text from Melbourne Architecture

St. Francis Church
North-east corner Lonsdale Street and Elizabeth Streets, Melbourne
1841-45, 1849 Samuel Jackson; 1856 George & Schneider; 1878 Reed & Barnes

Though altered and extended, this is the oldest Roman Catholic church in Victoria and has been in continuous service since the early 1840s. The main vessel of the church, the nave, with wooden shingles on the roof, was built first. The cement-rendered walls of the exterior are modeled in the manner of the late 18th century Georgian Gothick idiom practiced in Engand before the Gothic Revival proper set in after the 1830s, a movement pioneered by the Catholic architectural radical AWN Pugin. The first additions to Jackson’s simple nave were designed by David Ross: a porch (1855, demolished) and a Lady Chapel (1858). Interenally, the chapel is in the manner of Pugin, with the decoration carried out by claimed pupils of his, Le Gould & Souter. Externally, however, the idiom was never achieved and the extensions of the porch, the Lady Chapel, the sanctuary (1878) and a recent narthex (1956) follow the cement rendering of the earliest part of the church. In 1988-89, the church was repaired and restored by the conservation architects Allom Lovell & Associates and Kosinova Thorne as well as Falkinger Andronas P/L (1990-97).

Two of my own shots below.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StFrancis1.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StFrancis2.jpg

Text from Melbourne Architecture

St. James Old Cathedral
419-435 King Street (originally in Collins Street west), Melbourne
1839-51 Robert Russell; 1841 Charles Laing; 1913 relocated to King Street

St James Anglican Church originally stood in Collins Street, on a large site bounded by William and Little Collins Streets. The church’s popularity waned as the Gothic Revival progressed and, whether from ecclesiastical prejudice or structural uncertainty, was deemed unsafe. When it was closed in 1912, pioneers rallied to save the church by having it moved and rebuilt on its present site. It is the first Anglican church and the only surviving example of a once much-used local sandstone quarried from the south side of the Yarra, and an example of inter-colonial architectural influence-Robert Russell, the designer, drew on the work of Francis Greenway in Sydney. Russell was succeeded by Charles Laing, who added the side porches, a tall octagonal tower above Russell’s square tower and the remarkable ‘east’ end (now the north end, as the church was turned 90˚ when it was relocated), which has been claimed to be based on the entrance to Robert Adam’s Edinburgh University. The antique character of Old St James’ was maintained after its rebuilding with some significant changes: the two-stage square tower has been raised to three stages and the blind windows changed from two to three; of the tall, two stage octagonal tower, only the upper part was reproduced.

Three photographs I’ve taken recently.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StJames1.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StJames2.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/City/slides/StJames3.jpg

bluestone crown? bizzare.

nothing beats night lighting for cathedrals

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3269/2586445755_fe73fb9a9c_b.jpg

as you can see, the towers stone have also been restored and now blend in well with new spires stonework.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/2591663592_d9b8715d4a_b.jpg

St Paul’s Cathedral
Melbourne on a bleak day ~1949.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/private/StPaul's1949.jpg

St. John's Presbyterian Church
Bendigo, Victoria.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/Suburbs%20and%20Regional/slides/Bendigo24.jpg

Catholic Church, Newstead Brisbane

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/5947/p5010013kj1.jpg

St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral
Bendigo, Victoria.

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/Suburbs%20and%20Regional/slides/Bendigo25.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/photography/Suburbs%20and%20Regional/slides/Bendigo26.jpg

i knew st johns at woy woy would win somehting at this years awards. its too good not too.

NSW awards kick off first national accolades

The initial State winners in the lead up to Australia’s first national steel awards were announced for NSW and ACT at official presentations held at Star City, Pyrmont on 27 June.

The ASI accolades were awarded to entrants in four categories of Architectural Steel Design, Structural Engineering Design, Metal Building Product Design and Multi-Level Building Design, with winners in the first three categories to vie for the national honours to be announced in September in Perth. Kingston Building’s entry on St. John the Baptist Catholic Church building in Woy Woy was named the winning project for that project team in the Architectural Steel Design category. The NSW Structural Engineering Design category was won by Arup’s entry on behalf of the project team behind the Allianz Centre redevelopment at 2 Market Street in Sydney’s CBD. Brookfield Multiplex’s submission on the Latitude East building development at World Square in Goulburn Street, Sydney topped the Multi-Level Steel Building category for that project team. The RAAF Liquid Oxygen Extraction (LOX) facility in Richmond won in the Metal Building Product Design category based on the entry from project team architects, Campbell Luscombe Folk Lichtman. ASI State Manager – NSW & ACT, Phil Casey said the nature of entries well portrayed the diversity of innovative applications possible using predominantly Australian-made steel. “The awards highlight the high standard of design and execution achievable with the versatility of steel, aesthetics and the industry’s capacities and efficiencies,” he said. Winners of the other state awards will be announced in coming months – Victoria (25 July), South Australia (15 August), Queensland (22 August), and Western Australia (15 September).

the all steel St Johns church @ woy woy

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1124/1418147590_3fda2036bc.jpg?v=0

Catholic Church, Newstead Brisbane

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/5947/p5010013kj1.jpg

Very pretty but what is all that ugly concrete! I am sure they could soft landscape it and make it more fitting.

the 90ft high towers of parramattas St Johns are amongst the oldest in Australia. when erected in 1819 they were 5th tallest structures in Australia!
the church was rebuilt in 1860;s but towers remain original/
ive been up the towers. the 4 storey structure house a museum and memorabilia

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/76/230844583_59d1e078b8_o.jpg

Very pretty but what is all that ugly concrete! I am sure they could soft landscape it and make it more fitting.

Wow - not long ago that concrete was completely covered in creepers/ivy which was kept very tidy. It looked fantastic and I had no idea there was concrete below it.

The drought must have taken its toll here.

J

the 90ft high towers of parramattas St Johns are amongst the oldest in Australia. when erected in 1819 they were 5th tallest structures in Australia!
the church was rebuilt in 1860;s but towers remain original/
ive been up the towers. the 4 storey structure house a museum and memorabilia

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/76/230844583_59d1e078b8_o.jpg

How it is inside this lovely church?

^nice .like this>
youll find most Australian churches have open timber truss roofs.
devyy from flirkr
love the 1850s interior
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2515881712_34f5b710f8_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/2515035115_9681d6eb4a_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2407/2515038149_cdebd3c13f_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2246/2515854908_669439d86b_b.jpg


st Marys Cathedral has been focus over past week being mother church of Australian catholics
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2688641209_00ffb62a44_b.jpg

I noticed this morning that now the Blood Bank in Brisbane has been torn down to make way for Trilogy - I now have a clear and unobstructed view of St Johns Cathedral from my spare bedroom. Looks pretty good too.

J

^wo, id love a shot of that! is st johns finished now?

^wo, id love a shot of that! is st johns finished now?

No there is still a crane there. I think they still have to put the central spire/roof on. The bells are there but under a temporary tin roof at the moment.

The two front towers are up though - they look great.

I noticed on Sunday night new lighting on the front - which appears to be finished at last. The lighting is spectacular and illuminates the underside of the vaulted stone roof on the front entrance.

j

St Marys was very popular for pilgrims. In fact you had to book to go inside during last week. On Saturday the new altar was blessed by his holiness in front of 4000 inside the Cathedral.

No there is still a crane there. I think they still have to put the central spire/roof on. The bells are there but under a temporary tin roof at the moment.

The two front towers are up though - they look great.

I noticed on Sunday night new lighting on the front - which appears to be finished at last. The lighting is spectacular and illuminates the underside of the vaulted stone roof on the front entrance.

j
cool, yes the large central tower is alot lower then front towers.
the cieling should look awesome

some from Ipswich
thanks to bedeutetjemanden/flickr
the great St Stephens. one of tallest structures in Australia in 1866
37m spire

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2692901068_274c2293d1_b.jpg


St Johns Lutheran

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3285/2692077591_248cdc2f5e_b.jpg

compassion conenction
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/2692894298_e98a708731_b.jpg

GOULBURN, NSW
the 30m/100ft tall tower of St peters/pauls catholic cathedral
the only religious structure in the world built from rare green/blue stone-PORPHYRY. quarried locally.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2670750538_32eafbeef2_b.jpg

St saviours Anglican cathedral

The 33m tower was built recently and now awaits the spire which will become one of tallest in Australia at 67m
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2670752256_9cdcf390ab_b.jpg

Hadn't realised till now how much basic design St Marys in Sydney and St Peters in Adelaide have in common. Surely they wouldn't have been drawn up by the same person? Bit of a conflict of interest if so. :)

St Marys Cathedral, Sydney, Catholic.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/35/91351875_8d7ffe0f83_o.jpg

St Peters Cathedral, Adelaide, Anglican.

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee345/ColonelLight/flickr01.jpg

^St marys in Sydney was designed by William Wardell in 1867.
ST Peters in adelaide was designed by William Butterfield in 1840s, but not completed until 1902.
the spire of st peters are 51m high, while stmarys are whopping 74m but not completed until 100 years after butterfields twin spires in Adelaide.

the great spire of St benedicts, Chippendale
one of the oldest spires in Australia dating back to 1857
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3236/2816669822_bed01af91c_b.jpg

^St marys in Sydney was designed by William Wardell in 1867.
ST Peters in adelaide was designed by William Butterfield in 1840s, but not completed until 1902.
the spire of st peters are 51m high, while stmarys are whopping 74m but not completed until 100 years after butterfields twin spires in Adelaide.

Thanks, very interesting! They're both great looking buildings for sure.

the first part of St peters was completed in 1878.
It consisted of the trancepts and 40m high lantern.
this pic in 1891 shows the work started on 2nd half of cathedral.
http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/09500/B9479.jpg

the first part of St peters was completed in 1878.
It consisted of the trancepts and 40m high lantern.
this pic in 1891 shows the work started on 2nd half of cathedral.
http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/09500/B9479.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/2903683033_93e79cd608_b.jpg

St Mary's Cathedral

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/IMG_0097.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/IMG_5666.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/IMG_5626.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/IMG_5633.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/IMG_5649.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/IMG_5643.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/IMG_5627.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/IMG_5631.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/DSC_0288.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/DSC_0285.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/DSC_0278.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/DSC_0290.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/DSC_0270.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/DSC_0273.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/DSC_0265.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/shyaman_king/St%20Marys%20Cathedral/DSC_0268.jpg

St Georges Anglican Cathedral, Perth. Built 1888.

Not huge but warm romantic interior.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_YeiTeGOSbfU/SASaxcpFoEI/AAAAAAAABX0/DQofHW6rROY/DSC_0072.JPG
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/2445323548_2143eba18a.jpg?v=0
http://i.pbase.com/g6/20/782620/2/81391017.Fxg8qwh9.jpg
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0dlSc0RbyFctV/610x.jpg

Cul - do you know when the Lutheran Church in Bundaberg was built and how tall is it? Also - how high are the spires of St.Stephens here in Brisbane ? There are about two dozen steps leading up to it's ground floor from Elizabeth Street. Also with St. Peters in Adelaide - when I contacted the architects years ago they said it was 186'6" tall. What do you think?

steve-is the lutheran church is 30m high built 1960.
http://thomblake.com.au/images/places/bundaberglutheran.jpg

the anglican church is more impressive with 34m high spire
http://users.tpg.com.au/adslbcwm/Places/Rural_Regional_Towns/Bundaberg/Bundaberg%20-%20Christ%20Church%20(Anglican)%20Full.jpg

st stephens spires are 31m high. rebuilt with fibreglass in 1991.
st peters twin spires are 51m high or 168ft.

Thanks Cul - when I was in high school we spent a few years living up at Childers - so Bundaberg was the nearest proper city - we used to go there once a week shopping - I used to try and count the tall things in town. The architecture of the Lutheran church fascinated me back then - and it looked so tall. But you know my favourite tall thing in town was the East Bundaberg water tower - built in 1902 and more like a building than a water tower - it looked like a little old skyscraper - it must have surely been one of the tallest structures in Queensland when it was built. Do you have any photos or info?

^yes the watertower is impressive structure at 36m high.(originally 33m)
it was higher than any bldg in brisbane at the time.

info>
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/517867472_e54c3fbab3_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/190/517775709_f490d98da0_o.jpg

Thanks Cul - I have'nt been that close to it in a long time! And yes - the Anglican Church is beautiful - I used to try and guess what Bundy's tallest structure was - there were so many water towers and church spires it was hard to judge. The only tall building they had was 6 storey SGIO Building - about 30m tall.

ive since found out they have the water tower height wrong.
the original structure was 115ft tall which is 35m.
A 12ft/3.7m tanks was put up in 1909 which makes its height 38.7m/127ft not 120ft/36m/ sometimes people round up figures.

Thanks Cul - Just out of curiosity { I know it's supposed to be a church thread } - but what is Australia's tallest Water Tower { If you know } and when was it built? When we lived in Childers back in the 80's my grandmother siad she went to the opening of the water tower there when she was three which would have been 1929 - then later on I was told it was 138 feet tall.

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/8941/picture074ve2.jpg

steve, thanks for that dodnt know about the childers tower. i was told by a construction firm in 2000 that the large steel tower out west of liverpool in Arcacia gardens is tallest in southern hemisphere at 42.5m tall or 140ft. sounds like it just pipped the childers tower.

St Johns in Brisbane was having its main roof put on this morning. Looks quite good.

J

Geelong
http://i38.tinypic.com/21l67b5.png
http://i33.tinypic.com/245zr4n.png

Melbourne St Patrick
http://i38.tinypic.com/a3o4lw.png
http://i33.tinypic.com/2lbp8d1.png
St Paul
http://i37.tinypic.com/ixzdkh.png
http://i34.tinypic.com/i6jta8.png

dont you just love all that bluestone!
st mary of the angels in geelong looks like a mini St patricks in melb!

^^LOVE LOVE BLUESTONE.....
Is bluestone used much outside of Victoria ?
I know that St Patrick is made from footscray bluestone which is local.
Is it expensive to use bluestone in office developments ?
I would love to see more bluestone used in more projects...:banana:......:cheers:

St Mary's/St Peters could easily be mistaken for one and other! I only wish that our variant would have the grander appeal that St Mary's seems to have. I always thought St Peters in North Adelaide had a somewhat bland look to it. St Mary's seems to have corrected this with its spires.

As for Adelaide being the 'city of churches', I always thought that Melbourne eclipses it with more striking cathedral architecture.

Shrine to timeless construction complete after 100 years (http://www.theage.com.au/national/shrine-to-timeless-construction-complete-after-100-years-20081111-5mkf.html)

By Anna King Murdoch
12 November 2008

http://images.theage.com.au/2008/11/11/262593/svCATHEDRAL-420x0.jpg
The completed St John's Cathedral in Brisbane. Photo: Michael Stevenson

WITH the dramatic placing of the massive 22-tonne copper spire yesterday, the world's newest and possibly last neo-gothic cathedral — St John's Cathedral in Brisbane — is finally finished after 102 years.

In a world of steel and concrete, this gracious building of porphyry and sandstone will be a timeless reminder of one of the greatest architectural ideas of all time — the masonry structure that is purely load-bearing — which has resulted in some of the most beautiful buildings on earth.

Though saws were used to cut the rock, every block has been hand-finished by up to 20 stonemasons, half of whom were English-trained. There is no steel in the building. True to tradition, the walls are separated by a layer of stone rubble.

English gothic architect John Pearson designed the cathedral in 1889 and construction began in 1906. Famous English stonemason Peter Dare came in 1990 for the $39.5 million third stage of building and it was 16 years before he returned to England.

"It's one of the few cathedrals in Australia — and everyone had cathedrals designed by Englishmen — that had involvement from the original designer through Pearson's son, who took over his father's practice," says cathedral architect Michael Kennedy. "A lot of them were taken over by local architects who changed them. The beauty (of this cathedral) is that that purity has been maintained."

For Kennedy, it has been a joy to work with the skilled stonemasons and carpenters for whom everything takes time. "It's a very nice way of working," he says. It's not known whether the quality of this form of construction, used since Roman times, will ever be superseded.

Conceived in the God-fearing 19th century, St John's has been completed at a time when books such as The God Delusion are best-sellers. The question arises: how many will attend it?

Many, it seems. Cathedral congregations throughout the Anglican world have been rising dramatically over the past few years, says St John's new Dean Peter Catt. "The English Deans are reflecting on it too because their congregations are very strong. We haven't got a handle on it yet."

It could be, he thinks, that a cathedral's larger spaces offer a greater sense of transcendence and the fact that cathedrals have "the resources to strive for musical excellence and good preaching and teaching".

^great to see finally
-i made a scale model of st johns (as completed from plans) 6 years ago. its a great cathedral.
its added length makes it 4th largest in Australia

cathedral/city/length/width
st marys syd-107m -39m
st pats melb-96m-49m
st pauls melb-84m-32m
st johns brisbane-79m-37m

HKskyline has posted some great interior shots of St Johns in Brisbane - see thread. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=747168

Love the stone roof.

j

^yes only stone vaulted ceiling in Australia. it was said to be only in southern hemisphere but i rang up st johns last year and told them theres St pauls cathedral in Dunedin/NZ

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2083/1806032667_ebc05cc392.jpg?v=1193795258

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/St_Pauls_Anglican_Cathedral_Dunedin.jpg/400px-St_Pauls_Anglican_Cathedral_Dunedin.jpg

http://www.rbrignall.org.uk/pictures/nz/NZ084.JPG

Don't St Mary's and St Pat's have stone vaulted ceilings too?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/2589440511_1388424372.jpg?v=0

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1390/805139183_8e4e73110c.jpg?v=1195049464