This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. This report includes the text from the original Building Classification Committee report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunedin was established in 1869 and two years later Patrick Moran (1823-95) was installed as the city's first Roman Catholic bishop. Bishop Moran's first cathedral was a small brick church which had been erected in 1862 by Father Moreau, the first Catholic priest to be assigned to the province of Otago. Moreau purchased the land on which the present cathedral now stands in 1868 but it was not until 1878 that work began on its erection. The site chosen for the cathedral was an extremely problematic one and before construction could begin the deep gully which bisected the property had to be filled with spoil taken from the Dowling Street cutting and other nearby roadworks. By the end of 1878 these difficulties had been surmounted, however, and on 26 January 1879 the foundation stone of the cathedral was laid. A local construction firm, Parker and McNamara, was the principal contractor for the cathedral which was erected at a final cost of £22,500. Due to Bishop Moran's prudent management of the building fund, and his decision to delay the completion of the cathedral, St Joseph's was free of debt only three years after it was opened on 14 February 1886.
Location
List Entry Information
Overview
Detailed List Entry
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 1
Access
Private/No Public Access
List Number
364
Date Entered
11th November 1982
Date of Effect
11th November 1982
City/District Council
Dunedin City
Region
Otago Region
Extent of List Entry
Extent includes the land described as Lot 1 DP 25330 (RT17B/764), Otago Land District, and the building known as the Cathedral Church of St Joseph (Catholic) thereon, and its fittings and fixtures.
Legal description
Lot 1 DP 25330 (RT17B/764), Otago Land District