St George's Cathedral, Perth

Built between 1879 and 1888 the cathedral was situated at the corner of St Georges Terrace and Cathedral Avenue at the heart of Perth's heritage precinct, which includes the nearby Treasury Buildings and the town hall. It replaced an earlier building immediately to the north-east of the present one. The cathedral is described in the Western Australian State Heritage Register as being a church in the Victorian Academic style, built of locally made brick, limestone from Rottnest Island and Western Australian jarrah. The pitched roof was originally covered with slates; these were replaced by tiles in the 1950s because the original roof leaked, and returned to slate in the restoration works in the early 2000s as the tiles were too heavy causing the roof to bow. A central nave, with a timber vaulted roof supported by hammerbeams, has an aisle on each side and a rose window dominating its western end. The rose-coloured brick interior of the cathedral is simple but elegant. The State Heritage Register assessment describes the intersecting beams over the crossing as "impressive in their lightness and grace" and providing a "subdued but elegant decoration to the building". The present cathedral was designed by Sydney architect Edmund Blacket, the pre-eminent architect of his age in New South Wales. From 2005 to 2008 the cathedral was extensively restored with the tile roof replaced by slates as originally built. Earthquake protection was added to two walls to provide bracing and much other work was undertaken. St George's Cathedral has become noted for its innovative and controversial theological teaching, popular preaching, commitment to inter-faith worship and music. The cathedral is listed on the permanent register of the Western Australia Heritage Register, is classified by the National Trust WA and is entered into the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate. In 2018, Kay Goldsworthy became the world's first female Anglican archbishop in Perth. Her installation service was held at St George's Cathedral. She had become a bishop in St George's Cathedral in 2008. == Features ==

Bells The cathedral has a peal of eight bells set for change ringing and rung by the St George's Cathedral Bellringers' Association, affiliated with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers. Upon hearing of Queen Victoria's death in 1901 the Perth community created an appeal to fund the creation of the Queen Victoria Memorial Bell Tower at the cathedral. The square castellated bell tower was designed by the Western Australian architect Talbot Hobbs. The red-and-white flag of Saint George is flown daily from the top of the bell tower. The bells were cast by John Warner & Sons of London and installed on the second anniversary of Victoria's death. However, the bells were only rung infrequently for the subsequent decades due to a combination of the lack of proficient ringers and for structural concerns in the tower itself. The bells were regularly rung every Sunday (but not tolled) up until the 1970s. The castellated bell tower was damaged in the 1968 Meckering earthquake. All ringing in the tower was ceased after tower bricks were dislodged due to service ringing in July 1973. Following a restoration appeal the cathedral had its original peal recast by John Taylor & Co in 1975 and hung a year later in a cast-iron and steel frame with the new tenor at . The original tenor of was kept as a service bell. The bellringing band became active again and achieved 25 peals by the end of the 20th century. The blessing of Ascalon took place on 3 April 2011. == Precinct ==

The Deanery, which adjoins the cathedral on the corner of Pier Street, was built in 1859. The deanery gardens were completed in October 2017 and is the final link to the Cathedral Precinct. The Burt Memorial Hall was completed in 1918. The Cadogan Song School was built between February 2016 and August 2017 and is located between the cathedral and the hall, and to the west of the deanery. The building serves as a home to the St George's Cathedral Choir and Consort. ==Deans==

The following individuals have served as deans of Perth: ==Gallery==

File:St George's Cathdral, view form the north west.jpg|View from the north west File:St George's Cathdral, the west front.jpg|West front File:St George's Cathedral, rose window over west front.jpg|Rose window File:St George's Cathedral, April 2021 09.jpg|Interior facing west File:St George's Cathedral, April 2021 02.jpg|Interior facing east File:St George's Cathedral, April 2021 04.jpg|Chancel ==See also==