Sacred Heart Cathedral

This Townsville cathedral was built in stages for the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton between 1896 and 1902. The plans were prepared in 1894 by Melbourne architects Reed, Smart and Tappin, who had won a design competition for a substantial gothic structure. Queensland architects Eaton, Bates and Polin supervised the work. Construction was by Denis Keleher who had recently completed the Rockhampton Cathedral. Townsville was part of the Rockhampton Diocese at the time of construction. Comparisons have been made between this cathedral and the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo, Victoria, designed by the same architects. While the site preparation began in 1896, the foundation stone was not laid by Bishop Higgins until October 1900. The church was opened in November 1902 and three months later, it was unroofed by Cyclone Leonta. The cost of the repairs meant that a planned bell tower and an extension of the transept back towards Castle Hill could not be built. When the Townsville Diocese was created in 1931, the Church of the Sacred Heart acquired cathedral status. A major refurbishment project was undertaken between August 2004 and June 2006 celebrating the 75th Jubilee of the Townsville Diocese.