About Us

St Paul’s Cathedral is the home church for Anglicans in Melbourne, the seat of the Archbishop of Melbourne and Metropolitan of Victoria, and home for regular worshippers from more than 25 nations. The Cathedral is Victoria’s most visited sacred place, with over 400,000 visitors a year.

St Paul’s stands on the site where the first public Christian services in Melbourne were led by Dr Alexander Thomson in 1836. The Cathedral was completed in 1896, and worship has taken place on this site every day since then. It is an oasis of peace at the heart of the world’s most liveable city, where many thousands come to pray, reflect and share in the peace and beauty of this sacred space.

You are most welcome to visit us and worship with us.


Our Vision

Our vision is for St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne to be a place of transformation for our City and Diocese where all people can come to experience and know God’s love in Christ Jesus.

Our Vision flows from the Cathedral’s position at the heart of our City and Diocese: our witness as an iconic symbol of faith for the people of Melbourne, and the home church of our Diocese.

A detailed copy of our Strategic Plan can be found in our Annual Report

History

St Paul’s stands at the very heart of the City of Melbourne. In style, it echoes the grand Cathedrals of Europe. Designed by distinguished English revival architect William Butterfield, the Cathedral is built in the neo-Gothic transitional style, partly Early English and partly Decorated. Many consider St Paul’s to be Butterfield’s final masterpiece.

Archives

The Cathedral Archive holds a collection of documents focused on the historic construction and maintenance of the Cathedral and other buildings on the site.

The original construction plans and records have been deemed to be a collection of national significance. Information on its people, events and activities is also collected. Resources include documents, plans, photographs and art works. It is managed by a volunteer archivist who attends one morning a week.

Requests for information are welcomed and should be submitted via email to welcome@stpaulscathedral.org.au.