Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo

Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst, Australia

Church in Australia

William Tappin
Bates, Smart and McCutcheon

Architectural typeChurchStyleGothic RevivalYears built1897 – 1977SpecificationsLength75 metres (246 ft)Width43 metres (141 ft)Height87 metres (285 ft)MaterialsSandstoneAdministrationDioceseSandhurstClergyBishop(s)Shane Mackinlay

Victorian Heritage Register

Official nameSacred Heart CathedralTypeState heritage (Religion)Designated4 September 1997Reference no.3311

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo, is the Roman Catholic cathedral church of the Diocese of Sandhurst and seat of Bishop Shane Mackinlay. The cathedral is located in the provincial city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.

It was designed in the Gothic Revival style in 1895 by an architect of the firm Reed, Barnes and Tappin. The cathedral was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register on 4 September 1997.^[2]

Description

Sacred Heart Cathedral is one of Australia's largest churches and the third tallest after St Patrick's Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne.^{[citation needed]} It is exceptionally large for a provincial city cathedral in Australia and its construction was made possible chiefly through the estate of Henry Backhaus (1811–1882), a German from Paderborn 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 gold-mining 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, an Augustinian 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 by Joseph Reed, one of Melbourne's most significant architects. It was built in the Gothic Revival style from sandstone quarried from the Geelong area.^[3]

The large pipe 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.

Photo gallery

Exterior
Interior
Stained glass window

References

^ "Sacred Heart Cathedral". GCatholic.org. 15 January 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
^ "Sacred Heart Cathedral, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H1340, Heritage Overlay HO288". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
^ Arneil, Stan (1992). Out Where the Dead Men Lie: The Augustinians in Australia 1838 – 1992. Brookvale, NSW: Augustinian Press.
^ Maidment, John (March 2016). "Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral". Organ Historical Trust of Australia. Retrieved 1 September 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo.

Official website
Diocese of Sandhurst website

Catholic Church in Australia

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Province of Sydney

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Sydney	Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians St Philip Howard, Kingston St Anne's, North Bondi St Anne's, South Strathfield St Brigid's, Millers Point St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Paddington Cardinal Cerretti Chapel Garden Island Naval Chapel Mary Immaculate, Waverley Mary Mackillop Memorial Chapel and Museum Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Randwick St Patrick's, The Rocks St Peter Julian's, Sydney
Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle	Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Diocese of Armidale	Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Joseph
Diocese of Bathurst	Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint John St Mary's, Mudgee
Diocese of Lismore	Cathedral of Saint Carthage
Diocese of Wagga Wagga	Cathedral of Saint Michael Our Lady of Pompeii, Yoogali
Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes	Cathedral of the Sacred Heart St Ignatius, Bourke
Diocese of Wollongong	Cathedral of Saint Francis Xavier St John Vianney Co-Cathedral St Francis Xavier's, Berrima St John's, Campbelltown St Michael's, Nowra
Diocese of Parramatta	Cathedral of Saint Patrick St Thomas Aquinas, Springwood
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Province of Melbourne

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Melbourne	Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of Saint Patrick Our Lady of Victories Basilica, Camberwell Sacred Heart, St Kilda St Ambrose, Brunswick St Ignatius', Richmond St Mary of the Angels, Geelong St Mary's, Williamstown St Mary Star of the Sea, West Melbourne St Francis', Melbourne
Diocese of Sale	Cathedral of Saint Mary
Diocese of Sandhurst	Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Diocese of Ballarat	Cathedral of Saint Patrick

Province of Brisbane

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Brisbane	Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Stephen St Stephen's Chapel Corpus Christi, Nundah Our Lady of Victories, Bowen Hills Marist Brothers College, Rosalie Mary Immaculate Church, Annerley Mount Carmel Convent, Wynnum Mount St Mary's Convent, Toowong St Brigid's, Red Hill Church Convent St Brigid's Church, Rosewood St Francis Xavier, Goodna St Ignatius Loyola, Toowong St Mary's, Ipswich St Mary's, Maryborough St Mary's, South Brisbane St Patrick's, Fortitude Valley St Patrick's, Gympie St Patrick's, Mount Perry
Diocese of Toowoomba	Cathedral of Saint Patrick Our Lady of the Assumption, Warwick First Church Second Church Convent Presbytery St Patrick's, Rosevale
Diocese of Cairns	St Monica's War Memorial Cathedral Old Cathedral St Monica's Priory/Bishop's House Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Thursday Island St James', Malanda St Joseph's, Cairns St Mary's by the Sea Church, Port Douglas St Patrick's, Yungaburra
Diocese of Rockhampton	Cathedral of Saint Joseph Old St Patrick's, Brandon Our Lady Star of the Sea, Gladstone
Diocese of Townsville	Cathedral of the Sacred Heart St Brigid's, Stuart St Joseph's, North Ward St Mary's, Townsville St Patrick's, North Ward St Patrick's, Ravenswood

Province of Perth

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Perth	Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Pro-Cathedral of Saint John Aquinas College Chapel New Norcia, Western Australia Redemptorist Monastery, North Perth St Brigid's, Perth St Denis, Joondanna St Mary Star of the Sea, Peppermint Grove St Patrick's Basilica, Fremantle St John the Baptist, Toodyay St John the Baptist, Toodyay (1863–1963) St Joseph's, Subiaco
Diocese of Broome	Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of Peace
Diocese of Bunbury	Cathedral of Saint Patrick
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Province of Adelaide

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Adelaide	Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Francis Xavier St Augustine's, Salisbury St Ignatius' Church, Norwood St Patrick's, Adelaide
Diocese of Port Pirie	Cathedral of Saint Mark
Diocese of Darwin	Cathedral of Saint Mary, Star of the Sea Christ the King, Tennant Creek

Immediately subject to the Holy See

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