Saint-Paul’s Cathedral

This is St Paul’s Cathedral, a neo-Gothic church that stands out in the modern Melbourne skyline. It was built on the site where the first public Christian service was held in 1835. It is the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Anglicanism, as the name suggests, is the religion of our British friends. It is a denomination within Christianity and its followers consider themselves both Catholic and Reformed. But why their own church? Well, for that we have Henry VIII to thank. He decided to break away from the Church of Rome, so as not to be dependent on the Pope. The king wanted to divorce his wife and marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn. Problem was, the Pope Clement VII wouldn’t allow it. You see, the marriage had been consummated and apparently there was no reason to annul it, not even because the couple had failed to produce male heirs. So, what did Henry do? He declared himself supreme head of the English Church and Clergy – problem solved! As the British Empire reached new lands, so did the Anglican Church. Now, back to St Paul’s Cathedral! It’s one of Australia’s most important religious buildings. They started building it in 1866, when it became clear that the old St James’s Cathedral was no longer big enough for the city’s growing population. On January 22, 1891, the cathedral was consecrated, but construction went on until 1926, when the spires were fully built. Notice that they’re even a different color than the rest of the building! Feel free to explore its interior; admission is free of charge unless you wish to snap some photos, in which case you’ll have to pay.