Historic images of Sydney's Catholic Cathedrals : 10

We continue our series of historic photographs commemorating the bi-centenary of Saint Mary's Cathedral (1821-2021).

In our previous articles, we posted photographs illustrating the stages of the construction of the present Saint Mary's Cathedral :

1871              1882             1883             1886

1887              1890             1892             1895

The photograph posted above was taken after work was completed on the next phase of building the Cathedral in 1900.  When the Cathedral was commenced 1867-68, a definite footprint of the building was laid-out, extending from Prince Albert Road southward to where the remnant of Old Saint Mary's remained.

Step by step, the cathedral was constructed until in 1900 it was raised to its completed state on the 1868 footprint.  In the second half of the 1890s, work continued at the Crossing.  The transepts were raised to their full height, complete with their clerestories and massive buttressing.  Rising gloriously from the intersection of the transepts was the Central Tower which for a period of years was referred to as The Cardinal's Tower in honour of the Cardinal Moran, who gave the impetus to the construction of the stages of the Cathedral between 1884 and 1900.

The photograph also shews the remnant of old Saint Mary's Cathedral signified by its squat tower surmounted by a pyramidal copper roof.  It was in this small tower that the Cathedral's peal of bells was housed, until it was relocated to the Central Tower of the new building after its completion in 1901.

As the building of the new Cathedral progressed, professional photographers were regularly taking images of the stages of construction.  The number of photographs taken - often used for postcards - dramatically increased after the completion of the Central Tower.  No longer did the Cathedral look incomplete, but a finished and noble building.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

AMDG

NOTES

The photographs in this series are taken from a variety of sources, some in online Archival collections, some from books, some original images in the editor's collection.  They are presented here in a "modernised" digital form, and with as much detail of the structure of the Cathedrals enhanced in order to make them more accessible to a new generation of Australian Catholics.  The original image on which this digital rendering is based is held by the State Archives of NSW.  Please do not reproduce these unique images without permission.