St Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral, Catholic cathedral in Darwin, Australia

St Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Darwin with a contemporary neo-Gothic design. Its entrance is dominated by a 26-metre tower topped by a 6-metre cross, and a series of parabolic arches rises 16 metres. White porcellanite cut from Darwin Harbour cliffs is used in the walls, baptismal font and pulpit, and the roof is copper.

The original church at this site served as military chaplaincy headquarters for Australian troops stationed in Darwin during World War II. The present-day cathedral was built later to replace it at the same significant location.

The cathedral is also a war memorial, honouring Australian, American, British and Dutch servicemen who died in the region during World War II, as well as local civilians. Stained-glass panels in the west window, donated by the Australian and American armed forces, show their respective emblems.

The nave walls are lined with glass shutters running their full length, and the copper roof responds to Darwin's wet-season heat; the interior relies on this cross-ventilation rather than air conditioning. The main entrance sits beneath the 26-metre tower, so the west window with its donated military stained glass is behind you as you enter. White porcellanite from Darwin Harbour cliffs appears in the walls, the baptismal font and the pulpit.

The foundation stone for the cathedral came from Rum Jungle, the site of the Northern Territory's first uranium mining operation, and was blessed in 1958. This choice of material connects the building to an important chapter of the region's industrial past.