St Mary's Cathedral
A priest stepped off a ship in 1820, had a vision of twin spires in golden stone, and it took 180 years and four buildings for that prophecy to come true.
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William Wardell's design took 62 years to build (1866–1928), resulting in Australia's papal Minor Basilica — elevated by decree of Pope Pius XI in 1932 and visited by Pope Benedict XVI in July 2008. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Sydney, dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians.
What to look for
- The twin spires — the exact feature Father Therry described on the day he arrived in Sydney in 1820, realized nearly two centuries later
- The golden-stone exterior that Wardell's long construction (1866–1928) brought out of Therry's vision into the city skyline
- The College Street facade at the eastern edge of the CBD — the fulfillment of a land grant story that began when Therry was first denied his preferred site near Darling Harbour
On College Street near the eastern border of the Sydney CBD; listed on the NSW State Heritage Register since September 2004.
St Mary's Cathedral is one of 23 sights worth the detour in Sydney, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Sydney pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Sydney
- Sydney Opera HouseJørn Utzon won the design competition in 1957, directed construction, then resigned before it ever opened — Queen Elizabeth II cut the ribbon on 20 October 1973.
- Sydney Harbour BridgeWalk the arch of the world's tallest steel bridge — nicknamed "the Coathanger" — with Sydney Harbour spread out below you and the arch top rising 134 m above the water.
- Accor StadiumBuilt in 1999 for A$690 million, this was the largest Olympic stadium ever constructed — originally squeezing in 115,000 people.
- Sydney Tower EyeAt 309 m above the CBD, this is the highest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere by deck elevation — clearing Auckland's Sky Tower by nearly 30 m.
- Australian MuseumThe world's fifth oldest natural history museum has been in Sydney since 1827 — older than the colony could really afford it.
- Taronga ZooFive thousand animals on the Mosman shore — and the Sydney skyline watches from across the water.