The Diocese of Armidale was established in 1869 and covers the New England and Barwon River regions of New South Wales.

Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral is the cathedra of the Bishop of Armidale, presently vacant after Michael Kennedy was appointed to the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

[3] Promptly following the philanthropic acquisition and dedication of land on the western side of central park Armidale, the foundation stone of the first of two brick cathedrals was laid and blessed on 8 December 1870, by the Administrator Monsignor John Thomas Lynch, an alumnus of St Patrick's Maynooth Ireland, on the same day that St Joseph was named as the patron of the Universal Church.

[4] The first bishop, Most Reverend Timothy O'Mahony D.D, an alumnus of the Irish College in Rome and a director of the missionary movement of Propaganda Fide for Ireland, was forced to resign over politically motivated false allegations of alcoholism and fathering a child, although he was eventually cleared by a church investigation and subsequent events.

Bishops of Armidale:[3][7] James Darcy Freeman was elevated to Cardinal in 1973, concurrent with Archbishop of Sydney.