Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church Cathedral |
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| Cathedral Church of Christ the King | |
Cathedral in 2012
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 Christ Church Cathedral
Location in New South Wales
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| 32°55′47″S 151°46′50″E / 32.92972°S 151.78056°E | |
| Location | Church Street, The Hill, Newcastle, New South Wales |
| Country | Australia |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Founded | 1847 |
| Dedicated | 21 November 1902 |
| Consecrated | 20 November 1983 by Bishop Holland |
| Events |
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| Past bishop(s) | William Tyrrell (1848–79) |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) |
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| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1883 |
| Completed | 1902 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Length | 72.5 metres (238 ft) |
| Width | 25.6 metres (84 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Newcastle |
| Province | New South Wales |
The Cathedral Church of Christ the King, also called Christ Church Cathedral, is an Australian cathedral in Newcastle, New South Wales. It is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Newcastle in the Anglican Church of Australia. The building, designed by John Horbury Hunt in the Gothic Revival style, is located on a hill at the city's eastern end in the suburb called The Hill. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 28 June 2011.
The current dean, the Very Reverend Katherine Bowyer (former rector of the Parish of Cardiff), was installed on 4 October 2017. She is the first woman to hold the position.
History
The present cathedral replaced an earlier Christ Church, built in 1817. When the Diocese of Newcastle was created in 1847, the original Christ Church became a cathedral and William Tyrell was appointed first Bishop of Newcastle (1848–79). Due to the poor condition of the original building and the growing population of the city, it was decided to build a new cathedral and a design competition was held in 1868. It was won by architects Terry and Speechley from Melbourne, but they had seriously underestimated the cost of their design and accordingly the plans of John Horbury Hunt were adopted instead. His design was for a cruciform Victorian Gothic style building with a central tower and spire over the central crossing. Work started in 1883 and the older building was demolished the following year. A temporary building was constructed nearby for services until the new cathedral could be completed and consecrated in 1902. The tower was not added until 1979, minus the planned spire. The building was damaged during an earthquake in 1989 and since been repaired.
In 1969, the cathedral witnessed the Australian premiere of Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde (Noah's Flood). The "voice of God" was provided by Brin Newton-John, father of singer Olivia Newton-John.
Deans of Newcastle
- Source: Christ Church Cathedral website
Images for kids
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Construction of Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle, NSW, 23 May 1893
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Early version of Christ Church, built by Captain James Wallis in 1817
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Original Christ Church, built 1817
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Early version of Christ Church with steeple
