Probably because of a combination of the haste of Christ Church's construction on a sandy site, the use of salt-impregnated sandstone quarried locally, and the largely unskilled convict labour employed, the strong winds which constantly buffeted its hilltop location so close to the sea soon exposed structural flaws in the foundations.

[1]: 48 [4]: 74–77  Even so, Hunt's attention to the construction of the foundations and ensuring that brick perpends were tight and mortar-filled preserved the cathedral's walling relatively unaffected nearly a century later when it suffered severe damage during the 1989 Newcastle earthquake.

[3][8]: 53 There was great consternation in 1906-7 when severe mine "creep" in The Hill area of Newcastle damaged the foundations and brickwork of the western end of the newly occupied cathedral.

[10][11] By contrast, in the whole of England the largest remaining collection of stained glass windows from the Kempe studio, in the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, has just 20 examples.

Set into the walls were 13 stained glass windows executed by Kempe & Co., collectively telling the story of service and sacrifice by men and women in theatres of war and on the home front.

[14] Realistic local and battle scenes in small, grey-coloured medallions inserted into several of the windows could not present an effective counterbalance to the much larger, idealised and brightly coloured depictions but are nevertheless important.

[1]: 98  In a fitting location next to the Forster Monument is a wooden cross from the grave of an unknown soldier in France, which likewise represents all those who gave their lives in the Great War.

This is an Australian-made Arts & Crafts style version of the altar used during World War I in Talbot House, Poperinghe, Belgium, where soldiers could avail themselves of precious rest during short periods away from the rigours of the front.

It was the work of Talbot House which provided the inspiration for a movement which after the Great War was subsequently to spread to all countries of the former British Empire with its message of lifelong striving to put into practice a Christian way of life and to build a better world.

In 1928 the Castleden firm completed further work on the arches of the church and the walls, closely based on Horbury Hunt's original designs even to the extent that clay from the same pit and the same moulds were used to make the bricks.

[3][8]: 14 During the early 1980s the cathedral was further embellished with numerous works by Newcastle artists, including banners, a terracotta and wood crucifix, a tapestry of the Ten Virgins and a triptych depicting the legend of St Nicholas.

[3] The original Christ Church Cathedral organ, of which the pipework forms the basis of the present instrument, was built in 1906 by Norman & Beard (London and Norwich).

Work was begun in 1995 and completed in 1997, involving an Australia-first engineering technique to strengthen the walls and piers by increasing ductility and therefore future earthquake resistance while at the same time maintaining aesthetic significance.

In 1966 the Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle, Cemetery Act was passed, giving the majority of land to the council to be made into a public rest park.

[3] The completed cathedral represents a modified version of Horbury Hunt's original design, evolving over the course of several phases of construction lasting nearly a century with contributions from a number of architects and builders.

Since the earthquake repairs, however, the east wall of the cathedral around the stained glass windows has again been deteriorating both inside and out: mortar used to re-point the brick joints during the post-earthquake strengthening is falling out on the outside.

While St James' Church remains intact, early depictions show that there have since been major encroachments on the surrounding land which obscure the original layouts.

[3][8] Because Horbury Hunt's design was not fully realised, it is not as good an example of his cathedrals as the smaller ones at Armidale and Grafton in terms of demonstration of his skill in the use of bricks and his experimentation with unique and original features.

In comparison, in England the largest collection of Kempe windows in one location numbers just 20 examples of his work, and is found in the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Hucknall, Nottingham.

[3][1]: 148–149 The cathedral's extensive collection of the war memorabilia which make it such a compelling focus for memorial by individuals and groups contains many items of unique aesthetic and historical value not duplicated elsewhere.

There is one other flag, in St John's Cathedral, Brisbane, thought to have been carried ashore by soldiers from Queensland during the dawn landings at Anzac Cove, but proof is lacking.

[3] Technically, the German-developed Cintec system of strengthening masonry by insertion of a combination of an anchor of stainless steel rods and controlled grouting was pioneered in Australia in repairs to the cathedral after the 1989 earthquake.

It includes fittings and ecclesiastical items of exceptional quality as well as the state's only Victoria Cross not in private ownership and the nation's only surviving Union Jack flown by Australian soldiers throughout the Gallipoli campaign.

Sections of footings from the original Christ Church beneath the cathedral's floor, were recorded and left undisturbed during the restoration works of 1995–97, to facilitate further investigation.

The aim was to strengthen the Cathedral walls and piers by increasing ductility and therefore ability to withstand future earthquakes while maintaining the aesthetic quality of the building.

[3] Of especial note for its beauty and associated items are the Warriors' Chapel and the collection of 11 works commissioned for it from the renowned Australian metalsmith William Mark, considered to be outstanding for their scope and quality.

After World War I the people of the Diocese demonstrated their love and gratitude for the fallen by donating money and materials to create this memorial and its associated items.

[3] The cathedral meets this criterion of State significance because it is the place chosen for the safekeeping of the Victoria Cross awarded to Captain Clarence Jeffries in 1917, along with the Union Jack flown at the headquarters of the 13th Battalion throughout the Gallipoli campaign in 1915.

[3] The memorials to soldiers as well as clergy and parishioners, many of whom took part in the war effort, increase the intensity of the social value of the building and its contents in meeting this criterion of State significance.

It meets this criterion of State significance because the footings of the original Christ Church discovered during earthquake repairs of 1995-1997 have been mapped and left undisturbed to allow for any future archaeological study of early colonial architecture and building techniques during the convict era.