St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral

St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral is one of Adelaide’s most significant architectural landmarks. The original design of the Cathedral was the work of the English architect William Butterfield, but owing to a disagreement over materials to be used, work began under architect E. J. Woods. The foundation stone was laid by Bishop Short on 29 June 1869 and the first portion of the cathedral consisting of the sanctuary, choir, transepts, and the first bay of the nave went ahead under the contractors Brown and Thompson and was completed by 1876. Work progressed in stages from that time, the remainder of the nave being consecrated in 1901, the towers and spires in 1902, and the Lady Chapel in 1904. Bishop Reed has recorded the history of the bells in the western tower and of the organ as follows: “It is the finest and heaviest ring of bells in the southern hemisphere, and indeed, for a ring of eight it is second in weight in the world to those at St Mary’s Abbey, Sherborne, Dorsetshire, England. The bells were cast by J. Taylor and Company of Loughborough, England, in 1946. “The organ was dedicated on 6 July 1929. It is a four manual instrument containing forty-eight speaking stops and numerous accessories for silent and speedy changes of registration. The action is electro-magnetic throughout. The first portion of the case, designed by Walter Bagot, was given by him shortly before his death and was dedicated on Sunday, 10 March 1963, by Bishop Reed. It is beautifully carved and since the donor did not wish for an inscription recording his benefaction the Bishop insisted that it bear in colour the arms of Bagot of Blythfield, from which illustrious family the late Walter Bagot was descended.”