St+Paul’s+Cathedral

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 In the beginning….. St. Paul’s Cathedral is an Anglican Church in the heart of Melbourne which was inspired and designed by William Butterfield; and     consecrated in 1891. A Gothic inspired building, the interior consists of bluestone, limestone, imported marble granite and richly patterned imported tiles. The effect of the tiles which are predominantly green yellow, rust brown and black is irreverently known as ‘LAVATORIAL GOTHIC’! The cathedral also exhibits carvings, ornamentations and stained glass. The land was originally inhabited by the Aboriginal tribe, the Wurundjerri people. Christian worship began on the site in March 1836. It was built in dedication to St. Paul and is currently under a restoration program to repair many problems that have occurred over the years. LOCATION LOCATION…. The Cathedral is located in the centre of Melbourne, on the eastern corner of Swanston St and Flinders ST. It is diagonally opposite Flinders Street Station, which was the transport hub of the 19th century. Immediately to the south of the cathedral- across Flinders St. is the new public heart of Melbourne, Federation Square. Continuing south down Swanston St. is the Princes Bridge which crosses the Yarra River, leading to St. Kilda Road. The cathedral therefore commands the southern approach to the city. St. Paul’s is unusual among Melbourne’s 19th century public buildings in that it is not made from bluestone, the city’s dominant building material. The warm yellow-brown colouring of the building is sandstone which was imported from N.S.W. This was a real change from Melbourne’s characteristic cold blue-grey landscape. ANGELIC VOICES IN THE MIST… The Cathedral’s pipe organ was built by T.C. Lewis and Co. of Brixton, England. Over six and a half thousand pounds were spent on its construction, shipping and installation before it was played at the Cathedral’s opening in 1891. Various modifications and maintenance works have been carried out since then, culminating in $726,000 restoration which was completed in 1990 with the help of a National Trust appeal.

The choir was originally formed in 1888 and led the procession for the opening in 1891. The choir was then called the ‘All Saints’! The choir today consists of 20 boys [on scholarship] and 16 men. They sing almost every day with two regular service s on Sunday. The choir is also called upon for special events and is known to sing at state funerals, concerts and carol services.

DIVINE HELP…. Constant traffic vibrations of central Melbourne led to concerns about the structural soundness of the Cathedral, particularly the spires. A public appeal led by the then, the Very Reverend David Richardson raised $18 million dollars to restore the spires and improve the interior of the building. The five-year restoration program is almost complete. RELIGIOUS RANTS AND RAVES…. *St Paul’s has one of the few peals of thirteen bells outside the British Isles. They are rung regularly – with practice sessions held on Wednesday and Friday evenings. *St. Paul’s is built on the site of Melbourne’s first Christian service, conducted on the banks of the Yarra a few months after Melbourne was founded in 1835. *In 1986 Catholic Pope John Paul II paid a visit to the Anglican Church; strengthening ties between the two religions. AND FINALLY…. The architect William Butterfield never saw the site. He resigned in 1884 after many disputes between him and the church authorities. Consequently the building Was finished by a local architect, Joseph Reed. AMEN…. RESEARCHED AND PRESENTED BY   GEORGE W. CLIFFORD TONI KOROMILAS – KURTIS 2008
 * Dr. June Nixon was awarded a Lambeth Doctorate by the Archbishop of Canterbury in recognition of her long contribution to choral and organ music; the only female to be so honoured to date.
 * At the time of it’s construction St. Pauls was the tallest building in central Melbourne, and dominated the city’s skyline.  [[image:Stained_glass_window.JPG align="right" caption="The beautiful stained glass"]]
 * Up until 1848 – the area had been used as a market place.


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