Greek Orthodox Cathedral

This is a Greek Orthodox Cathedral, originally a Catholic Apostolic church, built in 1873 by Julius Alfred Chatwin, with additions made in 1898 and 1900. The building is constructed of English bond brown brick with blue brick bands and diapering, along with terracotta dressings. It has a steeply-pitched plain tile roof with moulded terracotta coping to the gable ends, corbelled kneelers, and apex crosses.

The plan includes an 8-bay nave with low aisles, an apsidal chancel, an apsidal baptistry at the west end, a south chapel, and a circular chapter house, cloister, and porch on the north west corner. A vestry is located on the north side, and these additions were built around 1900. The architectural style is High Victorian Gothic with Geometric tracery.

The exterior of the nave features tall clerestory windows with terracotta Geometric tracery, separated by large brick buttresses with set-offs. The chancel has a polygonal apse with large lancet windows. The west end includes a polygonal baptistry with buttresses and tall windows. A pointed arch window with Geometric tracery is located above the nave’s gable, and to the left is a circular chapter house with moulded brick pointed windows and a conical roof with a wrought-iron cross. A gabled porch is to the left of the chapter house. On the south side is an apsidal deaconesses room with a semi-conical roof and a wrought-iron cross.

The interior brick walls are painted white. It is a lofty space with a timber roof featuring arched braces on small hammerbeams and braces on clustered shafts between the tall clerestory windows. A low 8-bay arcade with pointed moulded brick arches sits on squat cylindrical piers with scalloped capitals. There are tall arches to the chancel and the baptistry at the west end, supported by clustered shafts on corbels. A stone reredos with spires and pinnacles is present, along with a later screen. Other features include an arcaded stone pulpit and font, an organ chamber with an ornate timber gallery, Victorian pews, and stained glass in the chancel apse windows.