St Mary's Cathedral & Hyde Park
St Mary's Cathedral / Hyde Park
Australia’s largest Gothic Revival church, which together with Hyde Park across the road, Australia’s oldest city park, forms a quiet green area in the city centre.
St Mary’s Cathedral is the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. Construction began in 1868, and the twin spires were not completed until 2000. It is Australia’s largest Gothic Revival church. Its façade of local sandstone and its stained-glass windows are very fine, and the crypt has beautiful mosaic floors. The cathedral is free to enter, but please keep quiet. Across the road, Hyde Park was established in 1810 and is Australia’s oldest park. Its tree-lined avenues, the Archibald Fountain and the Anzac Memorial, an Art Deco-style war memorial, are all worth seeing. It is a short walk from St James station, and you can walk to the Australian Museum and the Hyde Park Barracks.
Opening hours
Church about 6:30 am–6:30 pm; park open all day
Nearby sights
- Hyde Park Barracks
- Australian Museum
- Sydney Tower Eye
- Art Gallery of New South Wales
- Queen Victoria Building
- Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
- Circular Quay
- SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium