Bishop's House

The 1930s Bishop’s House stands on the corner of Abbot and Milne streets, in the St Monica’s Catholic precinct. It was designed by the Parish Priest Father Joseph Phelan, who was brought to Cairns from Mareeba to help with the re-construction of St Monica’s Church and School following the devastating cyclone of 9 February 1927. Although the old timber presbytery had survived, a reinforced concrete structure was considered prudent during this era, when many other brick and concrete buildings were erected in Cairns. The building was dedicated as a monastery for the Augustinian Fathers. Father Phelan was influential in coordinating volunteer working bees, together with some day-labour to construct the new monastery within six months. The project was supervised by Cairns builder Michael Garvey, who had built the nearby St Monica’s Church in 1927. In 1941, the Vicariate of Cooktown, of which Cairns was a part, was elevated to the status of the Diocese of Cairns and the building became known as the Bishop’s House. From 1948, the Augustinians handed over the administration to the Diocesan clergy, but it remains the Bishop’s House and is not publically accessible.