GOVERNOR MACQUARIE'S DECISION TO ESTABLISH AN ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE OVER THE MOUNTAINS AT BATHURST MADE IT INEVITABLE THAT IT WOULD IN TIME ALSO BECOME AN ECCLESIASTICAL CENTRE AND THIS DULY CAME TO PASS IN 1865. PRIOR TO THAT LAY-LED WORSHIP APPEARS TO HAVE OCCURRED AS EARLY AS 1824 FOLLOWED BY THE FIRST MASS CELEBRATED BY PIONEERING PRIEST FATHER THERRY IN 1830. IN 1838 TWO IRISH PRIESTS WERE APPOINTED TO THE BATHURST MISSION THUS ENABLING MASSES TO BE HELD, FIRST IN THE COURT HOUSE AND THEN IN A TEMPORARY SLAB CHAPEL IN DURHAM ST. JUST ONE YEAR LATER HOWEVER THERE WERE SUFFICIENT FUNDS AS WELL AS SUPPORT TO BEGIN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PROPER PARISH CHURCH. JUST TWENTY-SIX YEARS AFTER THE FIRST CROSSING OF THE MOUNTAINS, THE PARISH OF BATHURST WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1839 EXTENDING FROM MT VICTORIA TO DUBBO. AS SETTLEMENT SPREAD NEW PARISHES WERE FORMED REDUCING THE AREA OF THE PARISH TO THE CITY AND ITS IMMEDIATE VICINITY. IN THE EARLY SIXTIES BATHURST WAS SUBDIVIDED INTO THREE, BATHURST, WEST BATHURST AND SOUTH BATHURST. THIS ERA WAS TO BE SHORT-LIVED AS DECLINING CONGREGATIONS AND VOCATIONS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN THESE SEPARATE PARISHES AND SO THEY WERE RE-AMALGAMATED. BY THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW CENTURY BATHURST TOGETHER WITH THE FORMER PARISH OF ROCKLEY, CONSTITUTED A LARGE SEMI-RURAL PARISH THAT STRETCHED FROM WATTLE FLAT IN THE NORTH TO BURRAGA IN THE SOUTH AND FROM TINY BREWONGLE IN THE EAST TO TRUNKEY CREEK ON THE ABERCROMBIE IN THE SOUTH-WEST.

IN 1865 BATHURST WAS ERECTED AS A NEW DIOCESE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WHOLE OF WESTERN NSW WITH MATTHEW QUINN AS ITS FIRST BISHOP. DURING ITS EARLY YEARS UNDER BISHOP QUINN (TOMB ABOVE) BATHURST WAS A NOTED STRONGHOLD OF THE "IRISH FACTION" OF BISHOPS IN OPPOSITION TO THE ENGLISH BENEDICTINES IN SYDNEY. SINCE ITS FOUNDATION BATHURST HAS BEEN GRADUALLY WHITTLED DOWN TO ITS PRESENT BOUNDARIES WHICH COVER THE CENTRAL WESTERN SLOPES OF NSW. THOUGH TODAY A SMALL RURAL DIOCESE IT REMAINS ONE OF OUR MOST HISTORIC. BATHURST WAS AND IS VERY MUCH A DIOCESAN TOWN WITH EXTENSIVE CHURCH STRUCTURES AND SEVERAL FINE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS WHICH BEAR TESTIMONY TO THE FAITH OF THE PIONEERS WHO WORKED FOR THE CHURCH AMIDST THIS OFTEN INHOSPITABLE LAND. TYPICAL OF MANY RURAL DIOCESES THE CATHEDRAL ITSELF FULFILLS A DUAL FUNCTION OF PARISH AND MOTHER CHURCH WHILE SEVERAL CHURCH INSTITUTIONS WERE FOUNDED HERE MAKING IT A VERITABLE TREASURY OF CATHOLIC HISTORY.

THE LOCATION OF BATHURST'S FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS ALLOCATED IN 1838 AND WAS BOUNDED BY GEORGE, KEPPEL AND WILLIAM STREETS. THIS NEW CHURCH, DEDICATED TO ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL, WAS BEGUN TOWARD THE END OF 1839 AND WAS COMPLETED FOR USE IN 1843 THOUGH IT WAS NOT TO BE TILL 1846 THAT THE FINAL TOUCHES WERE ADDED

THE DESIGN CONSISTED OF A NARROW GOTHIC NAVE WITH A MASSIVE CENTRALLY LOCATED WEST TOWER TO WHICH WAS ADDED A RATHER CURIOUS WEST PORCH. THE CHURCH WAS CONSIDERED AS VERY IMPRESSIVE EVEN BY NON-CATHOLICS.

SADLY BY THE 1850's SUBSIDENCE IN THE FOUNDATIONS HAD RENDERED THE CHURCH UNFIT FOR FUTURE PUBLIC WORSHIP. DESPITE THIS IT CONTINUED TO BE USEFUL UNTIL 1861 WHEN THE NEW CHURCH WAS BLESSED AND FOR ANOTHER DECADE SERVED AS A SCHOOL UNTIL THE 1870's. IT WAS DEMOLISHED TO ALLOW THE NEW DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOL TO BE BUILT.

WHEN DEAN GRANT (TOMB BELOW) ARRIVED IN THE 1850's TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE PARISH, IT BECAME CLEAR TO HIM THAT A NEW AND SAFER CHURCH FOR BATHURST WAS A DISTINCTLY URGENT NECESSITY.

IT ALSO BECAME CLEAR TO DEAN GRANT AT LEAST THAT BATHURST WAS WELL PLACED TO BECOME A DIOCESAN CITY AND THAT THIS CHURCH SHOULD BE DESIGNED COMMENSURATE WITH SUCH A DIGNITY.

THE DEAN IMMEDIATELY SET ABOUT RAISING FUNDS FOR "THE CATHEDRAL" AS HE CALLED IT AS WELL AS WORKING TO EXPAND THE CATHOLIC PRESENCE IN THE AREA THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION OF TWO NEW STATION CHURCHES AT O'CONNELL AND PEEL.

THE LOCAL CATHOLICS STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE DEAN AND THE RAISING OF THE NECESSARY FUNDS PROCEEDED APACE. THE FOUNDATION STONE WAS BLESSED BY ARCHBISHOP POLDING IN 1857 AND THE 'PRIDE OF THE WEST', AS IT WAS CALLED LOCALLY, SOON TOOK SHAPE IN ITS NEW LOCATION ON THE OPPOSITE CORNER OF THE KEPPEL STREET BLOCK FROM THE ORIGINAL ST MICHAEL'S PARISH CHURCH.

THE NEW CHURCH WAS BUILT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE WELL KNOWN LOCAL ARCHITECT EDWARD GELL WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A NUMBER OF ATTRACTIVE CHURCHES IN THE DIOCESE, AND CAN UNDOUBTEDLY BE CONSIDERED HIS MASTERPIECE. IN 1861 THE NEW PARISH CHURCH WAS BLESSED AND OPENED FOR USE TO GREAT PUBLIC ACCLAIM BY THE WHOLE TOWN. IT WAS DECIDED TO DEDICATE THE NEWLY COMPLETED CHURCH TO THAT MOST UNCOMPROMISING OF SAINTS, JOHN THE BAPTIST, BUT WITH THE PREVIOUS CHURCH STILL STANDING, CANON LAW PRESCRIBED THAT THE ORIGINAL TITLE BE MAINTAINED AND THAT THE NEW ONE BE COUPLED TO IT, A DUAL DEDICATION THAT HAS BEEN RETAINED TO THE PRESENT DAY. JUST FOUR YEARS LATER, IN 1865 THE NEW DIOCESE OF BATHURST WAS ERECTED AND THE CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL AND ST JOHN TOOK ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE AS THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE DIOCESE THUS FULFILLING DEAN GRANT'S VISION MAGNIFICENTLY DISPLAYED ABOVE IN THE IMPRESSIVE CATHEDRAL AND CONVENT COMPLEX AS IT APPEARED ABOUT 1895.

THE CATHEDRAL WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY ENGLISH STYLE BEING CONSTRUCTED WITH RED BRICK AND LOCALLY CUT STONE FACINGS. THE AISLES ARE LOW WITH AN ATTRACTIVE CLERESTORY ABOVE. GELL'S IMPOSING PARISH CHURCH (ABOVE LEFT) TERMINATED AT THE EAST END OF THE NAVE WITH A SMALL TEMPORARY CHANCEL (ABOVE RIGHT) UNTIL SUCH TIME AS FUNDS WOULD ALLOW FOR A MORE SUITABLE SANCTUARY TO BE BUILT. SUCH 'BUILDING IN STAGES' WAS QUITE A COMMON PRACTICE FOR 19th CENTURY ECCLESIASTICAL STRUCTURES.

OVER THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS THE CATHEDRAL UNDERWENT SEVERAL EXPANSIONS. IN 1897 THE TEMPORARY CHANCEL WAS REPLACED BY A LARGER ONE MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE CATHEDRAL'S STATUS (ABOVE LEFT) AND IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT THE BEAUTIFUL EAST WINDOWS AND MARBLE ALTAR WERE ALSO INSTALLED. IN ADDITION SEVERAL STRUCTURES WERE ERECTED ON THE NORTH SIDE BETWEEN 1897 AND 1922. IN HONOUR OF ITS CENTENARY THE CATHEDRAL WAS EXTENSIVELY RENOVATED AND ENLARGED DURING 1960 (ABOVE RIGHT)

ABOVE LEFT CAN BE SEEN THE CATHEDRAL AS IT EXISTS TODAY. OF NOTE ARE THE 1960's ADDITIONS INCLUDING THE NARTHEX, BAPTISTRY, CONFESSIONALS AND NEW SEATING AREAS ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE. THE RENOVATIONS HAD THE EFFECT OF MOVING THE TOWER DE FACTO FROM THE SOUTH-WEST CORNER TO THE SIDE OF THE CATHEDRAL SO CREATING AN UNUSUAL ALIGNMENT OF ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS. ABOVE RIGHT IS THE CATHEDRAL FROM THE LITURGICAL EAST WITH THE LARGE NUN'S CHANCEL BUILT FOR THE SISTERS OF MERCY IN 1897 AND THE VERY ECCLESIASTICAL, INDEED QUASI CHAPELESQUE, SACRISTY (BELOW LEFT) WHICH WAS ADDED BY BISHOP O'FARRELL IN 1922.

AS THE MOTHER CHURCH OF ONE OF NEW SOUTH WALES' OLDEST DIOCESES THE CATHEDRAL HAS SEEN MANY CHANGES OVER ITS LIFETIME MAKING IT TRULY A HISTORICAL DOCUMENT IN STONE. IN SPITE OF ALL THE CHANGES HOWEVER THE CATHEDRAL IS TODAY SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME IMPOSING BUILDING PLANNED AND BUILT BY DEAN GRANT AS HIS VISIONARY 'CATHEDRAL' FOR BATHURST OVER A CENTURY AGO.

A HIGH NAVE AND A LOVELY STAINED GLASS WINDOW BY JOHN HARDMAN & CO. DOMINATE THE WEST END (>>>>).
THE TOWER LOW IN COMPARISON TO THE NAVE MARKS THE OLD WEST END BEFORE A NEW NARTHEX WAS ADDED.

THE CRENELLATED WESTERN TOWER IS DECORATED BY A CLERESTORY, A TABLEAU OF THE CRUCIFIXION AND A STATUE OF THE SACRED HEART (VV).

THE INTERIOR IS COMPRISED OF AN AISLED NAVE WITH ROUNDED SANDSTONE PIERS AND POINTED GOTHIC ARCHES WHICH LEADS UP TO A DISTANT SANCTUARY BATHED IN A MYSTICAL GLOOM. THE WOODEN BUTTRESSES SPRING FROM CORBELLS HIGH ON THE WALLS IN SUPPORT OF THE OPEN ROOF. THE QUASI-MOORISH ARCH AND STRAINER BEAM IS A RESULT OF THE RENOVATION AS SEEN IN A COMPARISON WITH THE ORIGINAL ARCHWAY.

THE TOMB OF DEAN GRANT (LEFT) AND THE INTERIOR PRIOR TO THE RENOVATIONS OF 1960 AND LATER RE-ORDERING IN THE 1980's (RIGHT).

THE SANCTUARY SEEN FROM THE NAVE (CENTRE) WITH DETAILS OF THE TWO DIFFERENTIATED ANGELS FLANKING THE CHANCEL (<<< >>>).

THE SANCTUARY IS QUITE PLAIN WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MAGNIFICENT SICILIAN MARBLE ALTAR INTRODUCED IN 1897. THE SANCTUARY IS LIT BY TWO SLIM LANCETS PLACED IN MEMORY OF BISHOP MATTHEW QUINN, FIRST BISHOP OF BATHURST WHICH SHOW THE SACRED HEART ON THE LEFT AND ST MATTHEW ON THE RIGHT. ABOVE IS A TREFOIL WHICH PORTRAYS THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE MAGNIFICENT MARBLE ALTAR IS THE FOCAL POINT OF THE CATHEDRAL. AFTER VATICAN II THE MENSA WAS MOVED FORWARD IN ORDER TO ACCOMODATE THE NOVUS ORDO WITH THE BISHOP'S THRONE AND CELEBRANT'S CHAIRS SET BEHIND IT.

DOMINATING THE SANCTUARY AND THE NAVE IS THE CENTURY OLD SICILIAN MARBLE ALTER FROM DUBLIN WHERE IT WAS CARVED BY THE NOTED DESIGNER OF CHURCH FURNISHINGS MR J.PEARCE. THE STYLE IS THAT OF THE PRE-VATICAN II ERA WHEN THE ALTAR SERVED BOTH AS THE MAIN FOCAL POINT OF THE CHURCH AND AS THE THRONE ON WHICH REPOSED THE MOST PRECIOUS BODY AND BLOOD OF OUR LORD.

THE RETABLE WITH ITS EXTRAVAGANTLY CARVED CANOPY AND COLUMNED TABERNACLE IN THE SHAPE OF A CHURCH DOOR REMAINS IN ITS PLACE BUT THE MENSA HAS BEEN MOVED FORWARD TO ALLOW THE BISHOP'S THRONE AND CELEBRANT'S CHAIRS TO BE PLACED BEHIND TO ALLOW THE VERSUS POPULAM AS PRESCRIBED BY THE NEW ORDER OF MASS. OF INTEREST IS THE CENTRAL PANEL SHOWING ONE OF THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS (JESUS FALLING) REMINDING US OF THE SUFFERING CHRIST ENDURED FOR OUR SALVATION. TO THE LEFT OF THE CHANCEL IS THE FORMER NUN'S CHANCEL NOW USED AS THE BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL AND TO THE RIGHT IS THE SOUTH TRANSEPT.

TO EITHER SIDE OF THE SANCTUARY PROPER ARE TWO MORE LANCETS REPRESENTING ST JOSEPH (L) AND ST MARY (R). STANDING BEFORE THE JOSEPH WINDOW IS A STATUE OF OUR LADY (CENTRE LEFT) AND BEFORE THE LADY WINDOW IS THE SACRED HEART (CENTRE RIGHT).

(<<<) THE VIEW ACROSS THE SANCTUARY TO THE NUN'S TRANSEPT NOW THE BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL. (vvv) A NEW BAPTISMAL FONT HAS BEEN PLACED JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE SANCTUARY.

AS WAS THE USUAL PRACTICE OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY PRIOR TO VATICAN II THE MEMBERS OF ST MARY'S CONVENT WORSHIPPED IN A SEPARATE ENCLOSED CHANCEL WHEN ATTENDING MASS. TO FACILITATE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE MASS A LARGE NUN'S CHANCEL WAS BUILT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SANCTUARY WHICH COULD EASILY BE ACCESSED DIRECTLY FROM THE CONVENT. FOLLOWING VATICAN II THE SISTERS WERE ABLE TO MIX WITH THE CONGREGATION AND THE CHANCEL BECAME REDUNDANT. AS A CONSEQUENCE THE FORMER NUN'S CHANCEL WAS RENOVATED AS A BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL FOR PRIVATE DEVOTION. TO THE FAR LEFT IS ONE OF THE MANY GEOMETRIC STAINED GLASS WINDOWS FOUND IN THE CATHEDRAL AND ON THE FAR RIGHT IS THE ST PATRICK WINDOW IN THE CHAPEL.

THE LARGE SOUTHERN TRANSEPT (CENTRE) WAS ADDED DURING THE 1961 RENOVATIONS IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AVAILABLE SEATING. IT CONTAINS A LOVELY MARBLE STATUE OF ST JOSEPH AND THE HOLY CHILD JESUS (LEFT) AND A MODERN ICON-STYLE PAINTING (RIGHT).

THE LADY SHRINE WITH ITS MODERN STAINED GLASS WINDOWS IS IN THE NORTH AISLE AND WAS ALSO ADDED AT THE TIME OF THE 1961 RENOVATIONS TO THE CATHEDRAL. A FEATURE OF THE SHRINE IS THE WINDOW OF ST CATHERINE LABOURE AND THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL.

(<<<) LOOKING WEST IN LATE AFTERNOON TOWARDS THE GREAT WEST WINDOW (>>>) UNDOUBTEDLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE CHURCH.

TO BE OBSERVED WITHIN THE NAVE - (<<) A TYPICAL DEVOTIONAL CRUCIFIX, (^^) ONE OF THE ATTRACTIVELY MODERN YET SLIGHTLY INCONGRUOUS STATIONS OF THE CROSS & (>>) A MODERN ICON PAINTING OF OUR LADY.

IN THE ENTRANCE PORCH CAN BE SEEN THE ORIGINAL NORMAN DOORWAY THAT WAS PRESERVED WHEN THE FRONT WAS EXTENDED IN 1961 (CENTRE). THERE ARE ALSO DEVOTIONAL STATUES AND TWO LOVELY MODERN STAINED GLASS WINDOWS AS PART OF THE BAPTISTRY SET.

THESE LOVELY MODERN STAINED GLASS WINDOWS FORM A SET AROUND THE WALLS IN THE FORMER BAPTISTRY (NOW THE CATHEDRAL PIETY STALL). IN THE CENTRE IS TO BE SEEN THE MEMORIAL STONE CELEBRATING THE CENTENARY OF THE CATHEDRAL IN AUGUST 1962.