St Monica's Old Cathedral

The original St Monica’s Catholic Church in Cairns was built in 1886 by priests based in Cooktown. Cooktown was the main port of the district from 1872, serving the Palmer River goldfields. In 1887 Cooktown was designated the Vicariate, or the Bishop’s seat, for North Queensland. Cooktown’s importance declined as the gold resources diminished. Cairns continued to prosper. In 1906 the Vicariate of Cooktown relocated to Cairns and St Monica’s acquired the status of pro-cathedral. Plans for a new cathedral were thwarted by the destruction of the church and school buildings in a cyclone in 1927. Cairns architects Lawrence and Lordan designed a combined school and church building in reinforced concrete. Builder Michael Garvey completed the £8000 pound project in seven months. The school was on the ground floor and the church on the upper level. It included the altar of the original church salvaged from cyclone debris. It became a cathedral in 1941, and an imposing staircase was added to the Minnie Street façade. When the new cathedral was built in 1968, the old cathedral was occupied by the school for various functions, including a gymnasium, with the lower floor housing diocesan and parish offices.