St Stephen's Cathedral
The Cathedral of St Stephen is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane and the seat of its archbishop, standing at 249 Elizabeth Street in the city centre. James Quinn, the first Bishop of Brisbane, who arrived from Ireland in 1861, laid the foundation stone on 26 December 1863, the Feast of St Stephen. The nave, designed in the Gothic Revival style, was built between 1870 and 1874, with the twin spires completed in 1884 and the crossing, transepts and sanctuary added in 1920-1922.
Designed principally by architect Benjamin Backhouse and built of local stone with freestone dressings, the cathedral was originally conceived as a temporary church; a far grander replacement, the planned Holy Name Cathedral, was begun nearby in 1934 but never built beyond its crypt. A major restoration completed in 2000 reordered the interior and installed the Jubilee pipe organ. Adjacent stands Old St Stephen's Chapel, designed by the renowned English architect Augustus Pugin and built in 1848-1850, which is the oldest surviving church building in Brisbane and was restored and rededicated in 1999.
The cathedral is noted for its 19th-century stained glass sourced from France, Germany, Ireland and Australia, including Munich glass depicting the life of Jesus and a window associated with the studio of Harry Clarke above the sanctuary. As the cathedra of the Archbishop of Brisbane, it hosts daily Masses, ordinations and major archdiocesan liturgies, and offers free guided tours on weekdays. The heritage-listed precinct, blending the Victorian cathedral with Pugin's earlier chapel, remains a significant religious and architectural landmark in central Brisbane.
- Location
- -27.4687, 153.0290
- Local time
- 08:33 (Australia/Brisbane)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Fri | 08:00–16:30 |
| Sat–Sun | Closed |
Free weekday guided tours at 10:30am; open weekends for Mass (Sat 11:30 & 18:00, Sun 08:00 & 10:00). Confirm hours at cathedralofststephen.org.au.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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St Stephen Saint
The first Christian martyr and the cathedral's namesake; the foundation stone was laid on his feast day.
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St Mary MacKillop Saint
Australia's first canonised saint, closely tied to Queensland Catholic history.
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St Patrick Saint
Patron of Ireland, honoured given the cathedral's Irish founding clergy.
Care & donations
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane
Donations accepted via the Archdiocese of Brisbane Parish Giving app and the cathedral's online giving.
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