Christ Church Cathedral is set to undergo a major restoration to ensure the preservation of one of Newcastle’s most significant landmarks.
The state heritage listed icon will have essential insurance work to repair and replace storm damaged materials whilst remaining true to the Cathedral’s history and character.
Over the next 18 months, 28 copper roofs will be repaired alongside roof drainage systems, water-damaged fabric, and general maintenance to address wear and environmental factors affecting the Cathedral.
Bishop Peter was joined by Assistant Bishop Charlie Murry, MJ Van der Vyver from Duratec and David Roberts from EJE Architecture to announce the project last month.
“There’s an amazing project that’s going on with all sorts of people in partnership to reroof the Cathedral and to attend to some of the salt damage in the brick and in the mortar of the Cathedral,” Bishop Peter said.
“We are seeing significant climate events in Newcastle and the Cathedral, as a building on this significant hill, is impacted like many other buildings.
“It’s our responsibility to keep it in good condition. It’s a building that serves the city. It’s a spiritual heart. It’s a cultural heart and it’s an icon for the city.”
EJE Architecture will continue to work alongside this restoration. The firm has been involved in the improvements of the Cathedral since the 1989 earthquake.
“In essence, this is a replacement like-for-like, with the roof and the copper that’s already here,” David said.
“The only changes that we’ll make are where we know there have been issues, and they are very, very minor.
“Being able to work on this project, it’s an honour and I think everybody involved in it is seeing this as a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“As custodians, I guess we’re very excited to be involved in doing this and protecting the building for the future generations of the city.”
Duratec was awarded the contract for the Cathedral and has been working with a strong team of local subcontractors who will ensure there is minimal impact on the community.
“We will be working in stages, so all the work won’t be happening continuously. And what that means is essentially we’ll have scaffolding up that’s all excluded, with signage and with fencing, and essentially, the public can still access the church,” MJ said.
Assistant Bishop Charlie will oversee the restoration as Cathedral subdean and project sponsor, ensuring it will remain open as much as possible, including all significant religious and cultural days.
Check out a video from the restoration announcement.
To celebrate and highlight Christ Church Cathedral as the religious, spiritual and cultural heart of Newcastle, a new webpage has been launched.
Here you will find more details on the restoration, regular updates on its progress, and stories of the Cathedral.
