The Sacred Heart Cathedral is one of the most prominent buildings in all of Bendigo due to its large size as well as its commanding presence on a hill overlooking the city.

The idea to build the cathedral began in 1895 and completed with the opening of the cathedral in 1901. The cathedral would have more construction and expansions over the decades with the latest expansion being in 1977. Overall the cathedral is the second largest cathedral in all of Australia, second only to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne.

The building was built in the English gothic architecture which was popular in those days:

The outside walls are built with rocks of granite mined from the local area that is decorated with many fine sculptures and statues:

The inside of the cathedral is really quite beautiful:

The lighting combined with the high ceilings and atmosphere was really incredible. Here are some random facts about the cathedral from its website:

If you don’t have a car the cathedral can be a bit of walk and the tram doesn’t stop there. So if you don’t have a car it is up to you if you have the time available to walk up the hill to the cathedral. If you are driving it is definitely worth stopping by and spending a few minutes walking in and around the cathedral. Even if you aren’t religious you can still appreciate the beautiful architecture of the building.