St Marys Road, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
St. Mary's Cathedral
The mother church of Australian Catholicism, a sandstone Gothic Revival cathedral in central Sydney that took over a century to complete, standing in quiet contrast to the Opera House across the harbor.
Sydney's Catholic cathedral sits in a park at the eastern edge of the city center, its sandstone towers rising from the greenery of Hyde Park. The first church on the site was a simple chapel built in 1821, when Catholics in the colony were mostly Irish convicts and free settlers trying to establish themselves in a Protestant-run society. The current Gothic Revival building was started in 1868 and the main structure was not finished until 1928. The spires were finally completed in 2000, using the same golden Sydney sandstone as the rest of the building. The architect William Wardell modeled it after English Gothic cathedrals, and the proportions are genuinely grand — the nave is over one hundred meters long. The crypt floor, installed in the 1960s, is a terrazzo mosaic depicting the Creation, designed by the English artist George Harkness, and it is one of the largest such works in the world. The stained glass is largely from the Hardman studios in Birmingham, England, and it fills the interior with warm color on sunny afternoons. Cardinal George Pell and other controversial figures have led this cathedral, but so have pastors of real substance. It remains the center of Catholic life in Australia's largest city.
Diocese: Archdiocese of Sydney
Style: Gothic Revival
What to See
The crypt is the surprise — most visitors come for the Gothic nave upstairs and discover the terrazzo floor almost by accident. It covers the entire crypt floor with scenes from the Book of Genesis, executed in colored stone chips with real artistry. Upstairs, the nave rewards slow walking. The Hardman windows are best seen in afternoon light when the sun comes through the southern clerestory. The sanctuary has a carved stone reredos and a set of mosaic panels above the altar. The Lady Chapel at the east end is quieter and more intimate than the main church. The cathedral organ, rebuilt in 1942 and maintained since, is one of the finest in Australia. Walk outside through Hyde Park to see the cathedral from the north, where its full length and the completed spires are visible.
Pilgrim Notes
The cathedral is in the center of Sydney, next to Hyde Park and a short walk from St. James and Museum train stations. It is open daily and free to enter. Mass is offered multiple times daily and the music program is strong, especially at the Sunday solemn Mass. The crypt may have separate hours — check at the entrance. The Art Gallery of New South Wales is a ten-minute walk east through the Domain parkland. The cathedral pairs well with a walk through Hyde Park and the nearby Australian Museum. If you are visiting during World Youth Day years or major Catholic events, the cathedral is a hub and can be very crowded.