- Address: 1 Cathedral Pl, East Melbourne VIC 3002, Australia;
- Website: cam.org.au;
- Phone: +61 3 9662 2233;
- Open: 07.00-17.00
St. Patrick's Cathedral - the second cathedral in Melbourne , executed in the Neo-Gothic style. It is also one of the five temples of Australia, which bear the honorary status of a "small basilica". This means that the temple can become the seat of the Pope at his visit to Melbourne.
From the history of the creation of the Cathedral
The patron saint of the Irish, who in the mid-19th century was the Catholic community of Melbourne, is rightly recognized as Saint Patrick. In connection with this, the construction of a new Catholic cathedral at the foot of the Eastern Hills was dedicated to the patron saint of Ireland.
The date of the founding of the Cathedral is 1851. It was at this time that a small piece of land was allocated near the Eastern Hills to the representatives of the Catholic community. To erect a temple on these lands was the decision of James Gold, who was drafted to Melbourne, 12 years after his demolition, to become the head and organize the parish.
The project for the construction of the cathedral was headed by one of the most famous architects of the time, William Wardell. Works on the construction of the cathedral in Melbourne were to begin in 1851, but the outbreak of the gold rush dragged all the working qualified force into the development of gold mines. Because of this, construction was postponed several times, as a result of which the foundation of the church was laid only in 1858. In the process of work, Wardell made some changes to the project, but despite this St. Patrick's Cathedral was unanimously recognized as the most beautiful temple in Australia.
The construction of the temple lasted quite a long time. The construction of the nave was completed in 10 years, but the work on the remaining part of the building passed slowly. Due to economic depression, the Catholic community had to collect additional funds for the construction of the temple, which was finally completed only in 1939.
An outstanding church building through the eyes of contemporaries
St. Patrick's Cathedral is an outstanding church building of the 19th century. Its length reaches 103.6 m, width - 56.38 m, the height of the nave rushed to 28.95 m, and its width - 25.29 m. The building was erected from blocks of azure stone, and the crossbeams of windows, balustrades and spiers - from ivory. Like other great temples, it contains a Latin cross, a huge central nave, a choir framed by a crown of seven chapels, and a sacristy.
At the first inspection of the cathedral look high towers. They are like spears rush to the sky, creating a sense of impetuosity and sublimity. Especially this feeling intensifies at night, when the spiers themselves stand out in the darkness of the sky. It is at such moments that you can really enjoy such heavenly beauty.
If you go to the cathedral, and lift your head upwards, to the clouds that float above the towers, you will be amazed by the effect of the "broken" lines. However, approaching the temple, this illusion will disappear by itself, and architectural harmony will infect you with an uncontrollable desire to get inside the cathedral and enjoy its beauty. Getting under the dome of the cathedral, you admire the feeling of the unearthly decoration of the temple.
I especially want to mention the stained glass ornaments of the cathedral filled with the multifaceted plot lines and the transparency of the unearthly composition. Playing in the sun, they transform the room into a shrine where silence reigns.
Information for tourists
Any traveler can visit St. Patrick's Cathedral at 1 Cathedral Place, East Melbourne, VIC 3002 (1 st place, Cathedral, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002) at any time from Monday to Friday from 6:30 - 18:00, and on Saturday and Sunday from 17:15 to 19:30. You can get to the cathedral by tram, routes 11, 42, 109, 112 Albert St / St Gisborne will help you.
Everyone can go on their own, using a map of the area, which can be purchased at any nearby hotel or hotel.
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