Hickey launches history of St Mary’s

ARCHBISHOP Barry Hickey launched the first book written about the 168-year endeavour to give Perth a thoroughly appropriate Cathedral on the first anniversary of the completion of St Mary’s Cathedral, 8 December.

Called simply Our Cathedral, the book was written by historian, parishioner and Cathedral tour guide John A Winship.
It covers the history of the Cathedral from the turning of the first sod for the first Catholic Church, dedicated to St John the Evangelist, in Perth on 27 December  1843. It became a Cathedral in 1845 when Fr John Brady became Perth’s first Bishop and had its name changed to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 17 June 1855.  The old building still stands in Victoria Avenue and is known as the Pro-Cathedral of St John the Evangelist.
When launching the book, Archbishop Hickey briefly summarised the history in five parts:
– The story of St John’s.
– The new building on the current site, which was granted by the Governor on 23 December 1859. The foundation stone was laid on 8 February 1963 and the Cathedral opened on 29 January 1865.
– The 1930 Cathedral built by Archbishop Clune from Michael Cavanagh’s design, only half of which was built and connected to half of the 1865 Cathedral – ‘the rest of the work to be left to a future generation’.
– The Mgr John Hawes design for a new Cathedral which had been requested and supported by Archbishop Clune, but which was never built because of opposition from the clergy.
– The restoration and completion of the Cathedral in 2009, preserving part of the 1865 building, all of the 1930, and inserting a new section combining them, according to the plans of architect Peter Quinn.
“This brought the Cathedral together in a very elegant and surprising way,” Archbishop Hickey said.
“Most people speak of it in glowing terms.
“It is prayerful, peaceful and full of light.”
He commended the book for its history of the Cathedral and the Archdiocese which in its early days was full of drama and some conflict.
Tracing the Cathedral’s history through the Bishops and Archbishops who were responsible for it also gave clear insights into the circumstances and difficulties faced by the Church and the community in the various stages of the development of Western Australia.
The book also examines the architects, artisans and artists who contributed at the various stages.
“It is well researched, well written and very readable,” he said.
“The extensive use of names will add to its appeal to Western Australians whose families – historically and in the present – have contributed so much to the life of the Cathedral.”
Mr Winship said that in writing the book he had particularly enjoyed trying to define what a Cathedral is and how it fulfils its many practical and inspirational functions in the life of the Church.
He also enjoyed being able to do “reasonable and respectable” research into Bishop Brady who had been much maligned.