Christ Church Cathedral - Grafton NSW

Author: Jeff + Claude AI

Genre: Architecture, Religion, History, Clarence

Date: 4th February 2026

Description: Rising from the banks of the Clarence River, Christ Church Cathedral stands as one of regional Australia's most remarkable ecclesiastical landmarks. This richly detailed study traces the cathedral's story from its Duke Street foundations through the distinctive brickwork of architect John Horbury Hunt, the luminous stained glass of Lyon and Cottier, and the cedar-fuelled prosperity that shaped its ambitions. Combining architectural analysis with the human drama of tragedy, ambition, and division within the diocese, it offers a compelling portrait of a building — and a community — still reaching toward completion.

Summary

Ch1. The Cathedral on Duke Street

Ch2. The Drowned Bishop

Ch3. Hunt's Salmon-Pink Bricks

Ch4. The Lyon and Cottier Glass

Ch5. Cedar and the Boom

Ch6. The Cathedral Close

Ch7. The Unfinished Tower

Ch8. A Diocese Divided