IN the heart of the Mid West city of Geraldton, a magnificent building stretches into the sky.
St Francis Xavier Cathedral has been part of the local scenery on Maitland Street since work began on the place of worship in 1916.
The heritage-listed Catholic church was blessed and rededicated last December after undergoing a major seven-month conservation project to restore both the interior and exterior.
Its impressive design was the work of English architect Monsignor John Cyril Hawes, who was also an ordained Catholic Priest.
Known as Father Hawes at the time, he arrived in the Mid West of WA as a parish priest in November 1915, and travelled around the Murchison over the summer months before being recalled to Geraldton to start work on the cathedral.
While the first stage of the cathedral was completed in 1918, work was halted after the death of the Bishop of Geraldton, Bishop Kelly, and did not recommence until 1926, meaning the building was not completed and officially opened until 1938.
What was created, however, was an impressive structure that would not be out of place in many other countries around the world.
According to the Diocese of Geraldton, the laying of the western portion of the building began in 1916 and used stone from the nearby Chapman Valley.
The foundation or cornerstone used formed an historical link with Geraldton’s first Catholic church, old St Francis Xavier’s which was built by the coast in 1870 by Father LeCaille but was later pulled down to make room for railway extensions.
The first building stage including the completion of Twin Towers, and the Nave, while unfinished walls of the central octagon and south transept were covered by a temporary roof of wood and corrugated iron.
For a 10 pound donation, station owners were able to have the names of their properties engraved on circular columns on either side of the nave.
Domed roofs were later put on the towers.
In 1926 the crypt was extended eastwards and the sanctuary finished above it.
These were linked by a temporary wooden structure.
In 1927 the Sisters Chapel was built on the south side of the High Altar, but it wasn’t until 10 years later that the building was completed, in August 1937, and officially opened on August 28, 1938.
In designing the cathedral, it is said that Hawes chose size and solidity rather than pettiness and elegance in his unique design.
The Diocese of Geraldton said he gave character and expression to the building by using “austere simplicity of design” and by the “harmonious proportions of the several parts”.
Any useless ornamentation and elaboration that would make it more expensive, such as traceried windows, pinnacles or carved decorations were avoided.
While unique, the cathedral design has been likened to the round-arched classical style of ancient Rome, with some features from the Romanesque or Norman 11th Century variation and some from the Renaissance 17th Century.
It is said the twin towers on the west of the building are very much like the Californian Mission Church in Santa Barbara, and the big central dome over the crossing resembled Brunellesci’s famous Cupola in Florence.
Inside, the cathedral has quite striking colour schemes of grey stripes with orange markings, similar to many churches and cathedrals in Italy, while many visitors who have visited the Great Mosque at El Cordoba in Spain believe there is a likeness to the interior and colour scheme.
Tours are held at the cathedral, and are co-ordinated by Gerry Eastman through the Monsignor Hawes Heritage Centre, which includes a museum and café, and was opened in 2016.
The tours are held each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday at 2.30pm, and each Friday at 4pm for $5 per person, and provide the 20,000 tourists visiting the cathedral each year with a greater understanding of the history of the building, along with an insight into Monsignor Hawes.
Ms Eastman believes the cathedral is an important icon for not only the Catholics in Geraldton, but the whole community.
“Visitors to Geraldton are overwhelmed by its beauty, and marvel at the story of Monsignor Hawes,” Ms Eastman said.
Geraldton was not the only place where Monsignor Hawes left his mark, having designed and built 29 significant creations throughout the region, including what has been referred to as the “jewel in his crown” in Mullewa.
While different in size and structure, the Our Lady of Mt Carmel and Saints Peter and Paul Church on Doney Street is yet another magnificent building which is in keeping with the local landscape.
Appointed the first parish priest of Mullewa in 1916, Hawes began designing a church for the town in 1920, which included travelling to England where he drew up the initial plans.
Construction began in 1921 but was stopped for some time, before resuming in October 1923 following another overseas trip by Hawes through France, Spain and Italy, and the completed church was blessed and dedicated in May 1927.
The church was built almost entirely by Monsignor Hawes, who was assisted by volunteer labour from within the Church community, including local farmers carting stone from a neighbouring quarry.
Labourer Tim O’Brien was employed in 1924, while Hendry Cutton James was employed to make timber frames for some of the arches, and mason David Blackwell built the Nave walls.
According to the ‘Spirit from Stone’ project, a heritage project established in 2006 aimed at promoting and protecting Hawes’ legacy, the church has a Romanesque type of architecture similar to churches in the south of France, while the exterior has long low proportions reminiscent of the Spanish Franciscan Mission churches.
A description of the interior on the ‘Spirit from Stone’ website is as follows:
“The nave consists of five bays spanned by transverse pointed arches which support the roof timbering.
The dome over the sanctuary is constructed of handmade concrete blocks, on the summit of the dome is a circular lantern with glazed windows which filter natural light over the altar.
The base of the bell tower has a purpose-built squint in the wall so that the bell ringer can sound the consecration bell at the correct time.
The tower contains seven bells.
An increase in the local population of Mullewa led to the addition of the northern transept St Michaels in 1962 to blend in with the existing building.”