The Cathedral Church of St David in Hobart

Hobart

Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...

 is the principal Anglican church in Tasmania

Anglican Diocese of Tasmania

The Anglican Diocese of Tasmania includes the entire Tasmanian archipelago and is an extraprovincial diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia. The cathedral church of the diocese is St David's Cathedral in Hobart. The current Bishop of Tasmania, ordained as bishop and also installed on 25 July...

. The dean (as of March 2009) is the Very Reverend Richard Humphrey.

Consecrated in 1874, St David's is the Bishop of Tasmania's principal place of teaching. It is a cathedral because it is the place where the bishop's cathedra or seat is placed. It is also the venue for great occasions of diocese, city and state.

Mission

The mission of St David's is "Proclaiming Jesus as Lord in the Heart of Hobart to build a community of living faith, profound hope and practical love."

Description

The building sits on the corner of Macquarie

Macquarie Street, Hobart

Macquarie Street is one of the main streets of the central business district of the city of Hobart, capital of Tasmania, Australia. It is part of the A6, technically making it part of the Huon Highway...

 and Murray Streets and forms one quadrant of what is considered to be the finest Georgian streetscape

Georgian architecture

Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...

 in Australia. On the pinnacles of each gable is a quatrefoil

Quatrefoil

The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...

, repeated on the extremities of the large crucifix of the rood screen which dominates the sanctuary.

The cathedral choir offers sacred music both classical and contemporary in worship and in concert. The organ, considered one of the superior organs of Australia, is played by quality organists. The acoustics and 650 seating capacity demand frequent concerts. Appearances of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is the smallest of the six orchestras established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation .-Activities:...

, Hobart City Band, massed military bands, the Royal Copenhagen Chapel Choir and the Sydney Brass Quintet were features of 2008.

St David's is known for its contemporary Anglican liturgy. Linked with England's Coventry Cathedral, the dean and associate clergy are "committed to creative liturgies that lift the heart and proclaim the Biblical faith as our society, increasingly dissatisfied with a purely materialistic world view, seeks a sense of the transcendent and apprehension of a living spirituality."

This desire for a "living spirituality" is reflected in the cathedral's commitment to serve the city, state and community. In services from those for the opening of law term, the opening of parliament, Heart Foundation, the Cancer Council Tasmania, Battle of Britain, Anzac Day, Hutchins

The Hutchins School

The Hutchins School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Sandy Bay, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia....

 and Collegiate

St Michael's Collegiate School

St Michael's Collegiate School, colloquially known as "Collegiate", is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia....

 schools and as a venue for state secondary and senior secondary schools the tranquillity and peace is often suspended with laughter, tears and memories.

The memorial service for the Port Arthur tragedy is remembered in the Hope Chapel. A memorial to the last ANZAC, Alec Campbell

Alec Campbell

Alexander William Campbell was the final surviving Australian participant of the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. His death broke the last living link of Australians with the Gallipoli story....

, who died on 16 May 2002, aged 103, is also in the cathedral.

History

St David's Cathedral was built between 1868 and 1936 and is in the Gothic Revival style. The original design was by the English architect George Frederick Bodley

George Frederick Bodley

George Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:Bodley was the youngest son of William Hulme Bodley, M.D. of Edinburgh, physician at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, who in 1838 retired to his wife's home town, Brighton, Sussex, England....

. There are stones in the museum dating from the 6th century. There are also very old flags dating from the time when Tasmania stopped being a convict settlement. There are also stained glass windows depicting saints, knights, kings and biblical characters. Along the walls there are small memorial plaques dedicated to deceased members.

The cathedral's distinctive features also include an arcaded entrance with a large west window and buttressed turrets; a square tower made of Oatlands stone; and a close on the southern side with old trees. Located at the corner of Macquarie and Murray Streets, the building is on the register of the National Estate.