St John's Cathedral

Brisbane’s largest and most striking cathedral, St John’s construction from local tuff and Helidon sandstone famously took well over a century, beginning in 1901 and reaching completion in 2009.

Despite its imposing Victorian gothic style, uniquely Australian elements have crept in – look for sculptures of whales and a rainbow servant between the portico arches or the Australian animals on stained glass windows.

Things are brightened further by the tapestry cushions that have been thoughtfully placed on all the pews. Every one of them is hand made and depicts an item of Australian fauna or flora – these were the brainchild of Governor Ramsay’s wife who it would seem had attended one too many long uncomfortable services therein and sewed the first one herself.

And in a tragic twist of irony the outstanding circular stained glass window to the north was donated by benefactors the Collins family in thanks to God for the birth of their only son who was subsequently killed in World War II.