The cathedral was designed by John Horbury Hunt and built from 1874 to 1884 by Reynold Brothers (brickwork) and G. J. T. Lawson (woodwork).

Concrete foundations were laid for four bays of the nave, the chancel, a side chapel and the north and south vestry transepts, in 1880.

In June 1881 contracts were let between the Diocese and G. J. T. Lawson (for the woodwork) and Messrs Reynold Bros (for the brickwork) for the erection of the first portion of the cathedral comprising the brick walls, roof, sanctuary and first four bays of the nave.

The gothic inspired building was constructed from half a million pink sandstock bricks manufactured locally by Mr Samuel George.

[1] The first stage of the cathedral was opened and dedicated by Archbishop of Sydney Alfred Barry on St James' Day, 25 July 1884.

[1] The foundation stone for the second-stage extension of the cathedral, comprising the last four bays of the nave and the west porch, was laid on 27 June 1934.

[1] Cathedral Church of Christ the King is of Gothic architectural style and is admirably expressed in form and materials.

Massive scale emphasised by use of an enormous and dramatic double archway of decorative brickwork spanning the west end.

[1] Cathedral Church of Christ the King is highly intact and has stayed closest to Hunt's original plans, with no major alterations to the design.

[1] Cathedral Church of Christ the King is of State significance as an intact example of the culmination of architect John Horbury Hunt's ecclesiastical ideas.

The building demonstrates the skill and originality of Hunt's ideas and use of brickwork, form and asymmetrical balance, culminating in the mighty western archway.

Hunts use of adjustable and fixed wooden louvers instead of glass is purported to be the first attempt to alleviate the problem of heat in any public building in Australia.

[1] Cathedral Church of Christ the King was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 14 March 2003 having satisfied the following criteria.

Grafton's Cathedral traces its beginnings back to the early 1840s when Anglican clergymen under the Bishop of Australia came to the isolated settlements of the Northern Rivers.

[1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

Cathedral Church of Christ the King has aesthetic significance at a State level as an example of the culmination of architect John Horbury Hunt's ecclesiastical ideas.

It is significant for its simplification of brickwork, the scale of the west end entrance double archway, the interior arches and the attention to ventilation in the hot Grafton climate.

Hunts use of adjustable and fixed wooden louvers instead of glass is purported to be the first attempt to alleviate the problem of heat in any public building in Australia.

[1] The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

Cathedral Church of Christ the King has high archaeological potential and is an important example and benchmark of the ecclesiastical architecture of John Horbury Hunt.

[6] This Wikipedia article was originally based on Cathedral Church of Christ the King (inc. hall and cottages), entry number 01654 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.