St Mary's Cathedral, Wellington, Gothic Revival cathedral in Wellington, New Zealand
St Mary's Cathedral was a Gothic Revival church on Golder's Hill in Thorndon, Wellington. Its 32-metre tower held a recess for a cast-iron statue of Our Lady, and gilded crosses stood on its parapets, gables and tower. The building was designed by Christian Julius Toxward and opened in its expanded form on Christmas Day 1867.
Bishop Philippe Viard laid the foundation stone on 8 September 1850 before a crowd of over 2,000, and the cathedral was blessed and opened on 7 December 1851. A tower 32 metres high was added in 1867 to hold a cast-iron statue of Our Lady from France. On 28 November 1898 a workman burning off old paint set the dry timber tower alight, and the fire destroyed the building.
The cathedral served as a gathering place for Wellington's Catholic community and drew worshippers from across the region. Its gilded statue of Mary atop the tower was a recognizable landmark visible across the city.
The cathedral stood on Golder's Hill in Thorndon, on the site now occupied by Sacred Heart Cathedral and Sacred Heart Cathedral School on Hill Street, which was cut after the cathedral began. The adjoining Hawkestone Street sections became St Mary's College. The 1898 fire began around 8:30 am in the tower, and low water pressure on the hill slowed the horse-drawn engine.
The cathedral was constructed using native New Zealand timber such as totara and rimu, merging European architectural design with local materials. This combination of imported style with locally sourced wood was noteworthy during the early settlement period.
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