Historic images of Sydney's Catholic Cathedrals : 17

Image :   The Powerhouse Museum

We continue our series of historic photographs commemorating the bi-centenary of Saint Mary's Cathedral (1821-2021) with this grainy photograph taken in or shortly after 1889.

This rare photograph was taken from the Domain by a professional photographer and depicts the North end of the new Cathedral, with its flanking aisles.  The imposing Northern Gable was completed in 1885, but within a couple of years, further construction was commenced.  In this photograph, the walls of the clerestory of the chancel had been raised above that work completed in 1882.  The dramatic stone flying buttresses supporting the higher stages of the stonework were also being built at this time. But the process of pitching the timber roof had not yet begun.  Notably absent is the purple slate roof !

In our previous articles, we posted photographs illustrating the stages of the construction of the present Saint Mary's Cathedral, to be found at the following links :

1871              1882             1883             1886

1887              1890             1892             1895

1896               1901             1902            1905

1907               1910            1914

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 Library of NSW.  Thanks are due to Special Collections of the State Library for undertaking a search to locate this and other rare images.  Please do not reproduce these unique images without permission.