Central Business District in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia — Oceania

St Paul's Cathedral c1860

Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, July 23, 2026

1. St Paul's Cathedral c1860 Marker

Inscription. In the first year of settlement, weekly church services were held on this site in a tent under a large gum tree. The laying of the first stone for the first St Paul's Anglican Cathedral in 1850 coincided with the first stone at the original St Patrick's Catholic Cathedral on the other side of town. To compensate for its being on flat ground the designers, James & Charles Webb (also architects of the Windsor Hotel in Spring Street) were instructed to make the steeples particularly high. This view also includes St Paul's High School. Completed when this photograph was taken, the cathedral did not last in its original form. In 1880, construction began on the second - and remaining - St Paul's Cathedral, designed by British architect, William Butterfield.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1850.

Location. 37° 48.992′ S, 144° 58.009′ E. Marker is in Melbourne, Victoria. It is in the Central Business District. It is at the intersection of Flinders Lane

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and Swanston Street, on the left when traveling west on Flinders Lane. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is in Oceania,

in Australasia,

in the Pacific Ocean,

in South Pacific,

on the Pacific Rim,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: You Should Have Seen It (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); The First Melbourne Land Auction (about 90 meters away); St Pauls Cathedral Precinct (about 120 meters away); Princes Bridge Hotel (about 120 meters away); Town Hall Foundation Stone (about 120 meters away); Melbourne Town Hall (about 150 meters away); The Athenaeum Building (about 150 meters away); The Melbourne Athenaeum (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Melbourne.

Also see . . . St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne. Wikipedia

St Paul's Cathedral is built on the site where the first public Christian service
Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, July 23, 2026

2. The Current St Paul's Cathedral as seen from the Marker
in Melbourne was conducted in 1835. The block was then a government reserve far from the centre of town to the west, and used as a corn market. By 1848 the site was then adjacent to the first Princes Bridge across the Yarra River, and the prominent site was granted to the Anglican Church. The bluestone Church of St Paul the Apostle was consecrated in 1852

(Submitted on September 3, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 3, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 3, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.