Description of the attraction
Old St. Paul's Cathedral is the former seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Wellington of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa of New Zealand and Polynesia (from 1866 to 1964), and an important historical and architectural monument. Situated close to the Houses of Parliament on Mulgrave Street in the Thorndon Historic District, it is a neo-Gothic all-timber structure with an incredibly beautiful interior that blends luxury and elegance.
The solemn laying of the foundations of the future cathedral took place on August 21, 1865 in the presence of the Governor of New Zealand, Sir George Gray, and on June 6, 1866, the Bishop of Wellington, Charles Abraham, consecrated the temple in honor of St. Paul. The original structure was designed by the Rev. Frederick Thatcher (later Vicar of St. Paul's Cathedral) and under the direction of engineer John McLaggan. Over time, a number of changes were made to the architectural appearance of the cathedral (the north and south transepts were added, the altar was slightly shifted to the east, the baptistery was expanded, etc.), and it acquired its present appearance by the end of the 19th century. Only the corrugated iron covering the roof since 1895 (before that the original roof, like the entire structure, was made of wood) was replaced with Welsh slate in 1924.
In 1964, the Diocese of Wellington moved to the new St. Paul's Cathedral, and in 1967 the old cathedral was acquired by the New Zealand government and restored in order to prevent its destruction and preserve it for posterity. Today it is one of Wellington's most interesting and famous landmarks and is definitely worth a visit.
