Saint Mary's Cathedral, Sydney (must see)

Follow College Street for a moment, and those sandstone spires, quietly asserting themselves above the treetops, will tip you off—you’ve reached Saint Mary’s Cathedral. This is the Catholic Archdiocese’s main stage, set right beside Hyde Park, on the very ground where the colony’s first Catholic chapel went up back in 1821. The version standing here today owes its existence to architect William Wardell, who began work on it in 1868.

Saint Mary’s is built from Pyrmont sandstone—the architectural equivalent of a warm sepia filter—and shaped in full Gothic Revival style, featuring pointed arches, flying buttresses, and enough vertical ambition to make medieval Europe nod in approval. The twin spires, finished only in the year 2000, give the cathedral its now-iconic silhouette, perfectly positioned for anyone aiming a camera even vaguely upward.

Step inside and the tone changes instantly. Stone columns rise like they’re trying to join the choir, stained-glass windows paint the light in jewel tones, and the vaulted ceiling creates the kind of acoustics that make even a hum feel profound. The rose window above the western entrance steals the show with shifting patterns of colour, while the reredos, carved choir stalls, and marble altar showcase the hands-on craftsmanship of the 19th century.

Beneath all this sits the crypt—a cool, quiet chamber decorated with mosaics of Australian plants and animals, housing the tombs of the city’s early bishops, including Cardinal Norman Gilroy, Australia’s first homegrown cardinal.

Outside, the cathedral opens onto gardens and Cathedral Square, creating a graceful link to Hyde Park and offering space for gatherings, ceremonies, or simply catching your breath. Set between green lawns and city towers, Saint Mary’s Cathedral stands as a long-running conversation between old-world design and modern Sydney life...