| Sacred Heart Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 Sacred Heart Cathedral | |
 | |
| 36°45′36″S144°16′26″E / 36.760°S 144.274°E /-36.760; 144.274 | |
| Address | 80 Wattle Street,Bendigo,Victoria |
| Country | Australia |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Website | sacredheartcathedral |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral[1] |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Founder | Martin Crane |
| Dedication | Most Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| Consecrated | 1901 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architects |
|
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1897 – 1977 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 75 metres (246 ft) |
| Width | 43 metres (141 ft) |
| Height | 87 metres (285 ft) |
| Materials | Sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Sandhurst |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop | Shane Mackinlay |
| Official name | Sacred Heart Cathedral |
| Type | State heritage (Religion) |
| Designated | 4 September 1997 |
| Reference no. | 3311 |
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo, is an Australiancathedral. It is theRoman Catholic cathedralchurch of theDiocese of Sandhurst andseat ofBishopShane Mackinlay. The cathedral is located in the provincial city ofBendigo,Victoria.
The cathedral was designed in theGothic Revival style in 1895 by an architect of the firm Reed, Barnes and Tappin. It was listed on theVictorian Heritage Register on 4 September 1997.[2]
Sacred Heart Cathedral is one of Australia's largest churches and the third tallest afterSt Patrick's Cathedral andSt Paul's Cathedral inMelbourne.[citation needed] It is exceptionally large for a provincial city cathedral in Australia and its construction was made possible chiefly through the estate ofHenry Backhaus (1811–1882), a German fromPaderborn and the first Catholic priest on the Bendigo goldfields. Backhaus was very skilled in financial matters and accumulated considerable property - not least through encouraging his goldmining parishioners to contribute some of their finds to the work of the church. Backhaus left his wealth for the benefit of the church and enabled the cathedral, among other things, to be built.
In 1895, Martin Crane, anAugustinian and the first bishop of the diocese, called for competitive designs for a cathedral from several architects. The winning architect was William Tappin of the firm Reed, Barnes and Tappin, a firm established byJoseph Reed, one of Melbourne's most significant architects. It was built in theGothic Revival style from sandstone quarried from theGeelong area.[3]
The largepipe organ, built by Bishop & Son of London, was installed late in 1905.[4]
After a long interval, work recommenced on the cathedral in 1954 and was completed in 1977. The later works were designed by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon, the successor of Reed, Barnes and Tappin. The spire was of lighter construction than that originally designed, being steel framed and clad with a masonry veneer.
Sacred Heart Cathedral is 75 metres (246 ft) long and has a ceiling height of 24 metres (79 ft). The main spire is 87 metres (285 ft) high.
The Bendigo cathedral is the destination of the annualChristus Rex Pilgrimage, which attracts Catholics with an attachment to theTridentine Mass from across Australia. Every year since 1991, on the last weekend of October, pilgrims will walk approximately 90 km over three days, culminating with aSolemn Mass upon arriving at the cathedral.[5]
Catholic cathedrals in Australia by diocese | |
|---|---|
A list of Catholic dioceses in Australia and their cathedrals | |
| Province of Sydney |
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| Province of Melbourne | |
| Province of Brisbane | |
| Province of Perth | |
| Province of Adelaide | |
| Immediately subject to the Holy See/Patriarch |
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