| Physical description: | The former Cathedral is part of the Roman Catholic Church Group on the Vernor/Bourke/Clinton Streets block, comprising the former Cathedral, Bishop's Residence, brick and iron front fence, former St Brigid's School, Mercy Convent and school.
The Former Cathedral is a Gothic Revival building built in two stages around the original 1843 church. It has a classical cruciform plan with aisles flanking the nave, and a tower in the north east corner. Footings are of rubble stone, rendered above ground level. The base stringcourses and quoins utilise sandstone from the Morowollen quarries near Wingello, Marulan. Tracery of all windows, jambs, arches, turrets and crosses are of "Piedmont" stone from Sydney and are generally in good condition, indicating the durability of the material. The walls are constructed from green porphyry, a particularly hard igneous rock that has been squared and brought to courses of 300mm in height. The CMP notes that the greenstone, diorite porphyrite, is from a quarry on the Bungonia Road and is only found in very limited quantities and in one place near Goulburn.
The roof is finished in deep purple slate from Bangore in Wales, and a fleche or lantern sits above the ridgeline where the nave and transepts cross, hiding the difference in roof heights. The Gothic architectural expression is especially evident in the windows and doors. The pinnacles of each part of the roof and gables are surmounted by either stone crosses or other decorative finials. Documentation indicates that there was a finial on every point, that each was different and that many are now missing, including to the top of the pinnacles on the four corners of the tower.
Statues either side of the front (west) gable represent St Peter and St Paul. There is a wrought iron picket fence to Bourke and Verner streets, with the former section believed to be original and the Verner St section having been rebuilt from elements of the original.
Internally
The interior has been described as follows:
"On entering the Bourke Street door the visitor beholds an unbroken space of 141 ft long by 33 ft wide. On either side of the nave there are aisles 75 ft by 14 ft, the aisles being divided from the nave by slender moulded columns of Victorian bluestone from Malmsbury. An arch at the end of the aisles opens into the transepts, which are 33 by 30 feet. A corresponding arch on the opposite sides leads to two small chapels. The roof is ceiled with wood divided into bays, and under the principals there are large traceried spandrels of timber resting on columns with caps and bases, these again resting on moulded corbels, all done in keen cement. The ceiling between the principals is divided into three panels, with a different description of wood in each and again relieved by beads and scotias of other and different woods." (Carolyn Cox)
The floor in the nave is a suspended concrete slab with hardwood parquetry. The sanctuary and side aisles are also concrete and now paved with marble. Internal pillars were made from Victoria Malmsbury bluestone that had been transported from Victoria at great cost, and personally shaped and designed by Stombuco as slender structural features. These have since been coated with a sand-rich paint. The internal wall finish is rendered and painted, although the sanctuary walls are lined to door head height with imported Italian marble.
The organ was built by Hill and Sons, London in 1890 and is considered to be the best Hill organ in Australia after the one in the Sydney Town Hall. It is described as having 3 manuals, 28 speaking stops, barker lever & mechanical action.
The interior joinery demonstrates a high degree of craftsmanship. Decorative elements including roses, gothic arches etc repeat throughout the confessionals, galleries, choir, convent, screen, pulpit and pews. Brass altar rails added in 1928 are substantial and impressive. In the sanctuary area the earlier gas or electric brass fittings are still evident. The sanctuary walls are cream with gold leaf monograms. The walls of the nave and aisles are also cream with some gold leaf detail to window architraves and picture rails. The altar is understood to have been the one that was initially installed in the former brick church that occupied the site. |
Physical condition and/or
Archaeological potential: | The condition of the building varies. In general it is good although there are adverse effects resulting from a long history of rising damp. There are historic references to a spring being discovered under the building during its construction and unfortunately at that time the sanctuary footings were filled with building rubble to support the organ gallery and marble floors located above. The fill is believed to have acted as a conduit, enabling moisture to rise into the sanctuary floor and some of the surrounding sandstone. Recent excavation under the sanctuary is understood to have significantly reduced the damp although there remains some evidence of active groundwater. As a result of the damp there has been considerable fretting of sandstone at ground level.
A survey in 1985 found: some settlement of footings to the south-west side, serious fretting and deterioration to the Verner Street steps and adjacent foundation walls, high moisture levels in ground and footings, some movement of the tower, fretting of mortar, movement of walls, cracking and possible roof spreading, lifting of sandstone copings, breakdown of flashing and poor roof plumbing.
The greenstone church was constructed over the former 1843 - 47 brick church, the footings of which remain beneath the present building. From the excavated area beneath the sanctuary the stone footings of the former brick church are clearly evident. The sanctuary, which contains the remains of Bishops Lanigan and Gallagher, has been completely excavated and underpinned. The two sarcophagi are being preserved in their original location. |
| Modifications and dates: | 1890 - 1920:- Murals added
1927-28:- Renovations to the Cathedral by architect William Wardell (presumed to be the son of William Wardell architect of Sydney in the latter half of the 19th century). Restoration was carried out by Ernest Mills and Sons of Sydney including framing of the doors at both entrances, confessionals, pulpit, Bishop's Throne, organ loft and choir front. Timber for framing and seats was "Calantis" (F Flynn pers comm). Other works included new marble flooring to the sanctuary (by Melocco Bros) and a new concrete floor with parquetry finish to replace the rotted timber floor in the nave. The sanctuary was walled in marble and a new marble high altar and side altars were added. The 1890s high altar was reconstructed along with new timberwork to the choir and organ galleries, confessionals and pews. The original cast iron rail from the sanctuary was removed and replaced by brass. Murals on the altar wall were painted over.
1952 - 57:- Renovation and redecoration to the interior of the Cathedral by Architect Mr Louis Burns, with work undertaken by Sydney contractor John Porteous. Gold leaf applied around archways and the sanctuary decorated with monograms of the holy name in gold.
1957:- Rubber matting laid down over the parquetry floor along the aisles and the Victorian Malmsbury bluestone columns were painted and "sanded" to imitate sandstone.
1977:- Repairs and maintenance including repairs to roof gutters and flashing and a course of 'Vandex' injection treatment to walls and columns.
1991:- Underpinning of Bourke Street wall by Claudio Bagnara.
1994:- Strengthening of timber trusses in ceiling cavity.
2000:- Chapel of Mary, Star of the Cross added.
2001:- Construction of narthex and two rooms along Bourke Street wall.
2003:- Further construction to narthex.
2004-06:- Fill excavated from beneath the sanctuary, and underpinning of the sanctuary floor. |
