OLD CATHEDRAL OF SS PETER AND PAUL

GOULBURN, NSW       CATHOLIC

PAUL SCOTT

HISTORY

[Wikipedia]

Introduction
St Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral is a heritage-listed former Catholic cathedral and now parish church at 42 Verner Street, Goulburn, NSW. It was designed by Andrea Stombuco and Charles Spadacini and built from 1871 to 1890 by C. J. O'Brien and Wilkie Bros. It is also known as St. Peter and Paul’s Former Cathedral, St Peter and Paul’s Catholic Cathedral, and, Saints Peter and Paul’s Catholic Cathedral. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 April 2009.

History
Goulburn was originally a central place for the gathering of Aboriginal groups. In the 1820s the richness of the black soil plains of the Southern Tablelands drew white settlers for agriculture and grazing and by the 1830s there was great pastoral expansion based upon the export value of Australian wool. Goulburn became the centre for commerce, trade and administration in the area. The first Catholic priest came to Goulburn in 1838 and during the growth period of the 1840s a brick church was built on the site. The diocese was created in 1864, reflecting the strong regional growth of the 1860s. This was further stimulated by the arrival of the railway in 1869.

Saints Peter and Paul’s former cathedral was built in two stages around the original brick 1843 church on the site. The foundation stone for the construction of a cathedral nave which was connected to the old church was laid on 12 December 1871 by Bishop Lanigan. Lanigan had been appointed the bishop of Goulburn in 1867 and was consecrated in the brick Saints Peter and Paul’s. It was the first time in Australia that a bishop was consecrated in his own diocese. The nave was the design of Andrea Stombuco. The materials and traditional Gothic design reflected his personal knowledge of European architecture, his skills and his influence. It was opened and blessed by Archbishop Bede Polding on 17 November 1872 costing £A3,500. The cathedral nave was built around the church nave, which was later demolished and removed through the cathedral doors. The sanctuary was still in use at this time and presumably a similar procedure was followed after the completion of the transepts and sanctuary.

On 15 May 1887 the foundation stone was laid for additions consisting of transepts, sanctuary, chapel, sacristy and tower. This section was designed by Charles Spadacini. It was reported that the church altar was reused in the new cathedral sanctuary. These additions were opened and blessed by Cardinal Patrick Francis Moran on 29 June 1890 having cost £A13,575. The bells were installed in the tower and the Hills organ was opened in the same year.

The organ was the gift of the Dalglish (Dagleish?) family and was installed in the north east transept. On 25 April 1898 the cathedral was dedicated by Cardinal Moran. The stone used for the cathedral was of different types, including diorite porphyrite, a very hard green stone from a quarry on Bungonia Road near the junction of Rosemont Road. It is reputedly found in very limited quantities in only one place near Goulburn. In 1928 during work on the altar walls the murals were painted over. These were rich in quality and design, European in character and stylistically not found in Australia. The architect for the 1927-28 renovations was William Wardell. In the 1950s and 1960s Canberra was established as the regional centre and Goulburn began to decline.

The transfer of the diocesan centre to Canberra in 1969 resulted in Saints Peter and Paul’s becoming a parish church and no longer a cathedral.