Historical

St Mary's Cathedral

圣玛丽大教堂

Est. 1821
St Marys Rd, Sydney NSW 2000

About This Location

On the night of June 29, 1865, fire consumed the original St Mary's Cathedral—the building slowly constructed between 1821-1835 on land granted by Governor Macquarie. The bells survived the flames intact, but everything else was lost, requiring a complete rebuild that began in 1866 and wasn't truly finished until the 1920s. Architect William Wardell's Gothic Revival vision required over sixty years to complete—a sandstone phoenix that took two generations to build, rising from ashes to dominate Sydney's skyline with 75-meter spires.

Then & Now

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Historical View

1821

1821
Today
St Mary's Cathedral
PastPresent

Did You Know?

1

Australia's oldest Catholic church (foundation laid 1821)

2

Built from local sandstone in Gothic Revival style

3

Twin spires added in 2000, 75 meters tall

4

Contains the largest pipe organ in Australia

Plan Your Visit

Hours

6:30am - 6:30pm daily

Admission

Free (donations welcome)

Official Website

Map Preview

-33.8710, 151.2098

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