[2] Religion and the establishment of places of worship have played an important role in the colonial expansion and settlement of NSW.

[2] As for the Northern Tablelands region, European settlement came as early as 1832 as pastoralists searched beyond the colonial boundaries for new land on which to run their stock.

Parts of the first cathedral were recycled to the Bundarra Catholic church & to the nearby St Mary's primary school.

Considered to be beyond any structural alteration or enlargement, plans were soon underway for the construction of a larger and more resplendent cathedral to become the new seat for the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Armidale.

Opened in October 1912, the quick construction of the cathedral was a considerable achievement and was "a great tribute to the faith and generosity of the people".

[2] A further remnant of cathedral artefacts from these times is a finely painted timber reredos used until replaced by the 1919 Italian marble rererdos.

Elizabeth studied at Oxford University prior to meeting the Capuchins destined for NSW and carried out diocesan duties in those pioneering days which would have included liaising with the now St Mary MacKillop.

Bishop Torreggiani was dedicated to building communities and establishing a number of schools and parish churches in the diocese at a time when funding education was often troublesome.

(In December 2019, after some two weeks of closure & minor renovations to the cathedral and temporary relocation of the liturgies to the St Mary of the Angels Chapel on Barney Street, the faithful of the Armidale Diocese celebrated the centenary of these events led by the current bishop Robert Kennedy, the new Dean Roel Llave and accompanied by appropriate musicianship.)

[17] With his fellow capuchins the provision of pastoral care had a distinctly gentle franciscan nuance and to this day, Francis is a popular local boy's name.

[2] A good number of foundations were made by St Mary Mackillop in the Armidale diocese during the administration of Bishop Torregiani.

[18] In 2020, a collection of online fine photographs about the cathedral can be found at https://www.facebook.com/SMJCathedral/ In order to achieve this, the bishop sought to appoint Catholic nuns who, having vowed to a life of poverty, could establish and operate educational facilities for the children of the district.

During the 1880s, the bishop attracted several teaching orders including a group of Ursuline sisters who, having been expelled from their convent in Duderstadt, Germany in 1877, had settled in Greenwich, London.

The sisters focussed on instilling refinement in their pupils and teaching the necessary skills required for a well-educated lady (namely music, art and needlework).

Some history of the Australian Ursulines is available at http://www.australianursulines.org.au/our-story/history along with a photo of them welcoming Lady Stonehaven in 1929, the wife of the governor general of Australia.

Finely constructed of Armidale Blue brickwork with a lighter decorative brick trim, the cathedral has a slate roof with tall needle spire (47m) above a castellated bell tower.

Although simply styled, the cathedral is finely detailed and has large stained glass windows, a marble sanctuary, chancel arch, eastern facade, and Flemish bond work.

The cedar pews and internal joinery were constructed using timber from the GF Nott's, the local builder, own sawmill.

[2] Upon entering the body of the cathedral, a beautiful Australian Red Cedar double hammer beam truss ceiling is evident.

[21] Above the main entrance is a beautiful Roman style mosaic commemorating in 1961 & installed by Bishop Doody to memorialise; the 50th anniversary of the laying of the 1911 foundation stone, the expansion of archeological works at Pompeii in Italy, where evidence of first-century Christians was being uncovered and to turn our attention to a flourishing church with a similar time line where the original of the mosaic is installed above the main altar.

[2] The cathedral group is also of state heritage significance as the centre of the first order of the Ursuline Sisters (who settled in Armidale in 1882) and for its association with the prominent architectural firm, Sheerin and Hennessy.

Joseph Sheerin and Jack Hennessy were architects of considerable stature in NSW at the time and had previously been responsible for the design of a number of Catholic and public buildings throughout the state.

In the late 19th century, religion and church institutions played a significant role in the development and operation of educational establishments in regional NSW.

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

[2] From its settlement in the 1830s, Armidale was regarded in the colony as a suitable centre for the provision of religious services to the expanding and wide-reaching population.

[2] The construction of the cathedral in a mere 20 months, due entirely to the considerable public support and generosity of both Catholic and non-Catholic residents of the district, reflects the value this site has to its community.

Positioned around the cathedral (that was considered to be the finest in Australia upon construction), the Catholic precinct reflects the religious requirements of the broad congregation and community it serves.

[2] This Wikipedia article was originally based on St Mary & St Joseph Catholic Cathedral Group, entry number 01925 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 28 May 2018.