St Joseph Chapel

Identity restored

In 1898 the liturgical north-east chapel became St Joseph’s Chapel. Prior to this it functioned as a temporary baptistery which precluded the establishment of any permanent stone altar as with the Lady and Sacred Heart Chapels. By 1998 a wooden altar was constructed and a statue of St Joseph erected on a pedestal behind it. Some decades ago the chapel lost its identity when the altar was removed and the statue shifted to a simple plinth in the corner of the chapel which was among other things used for overflow seating.

The Cathedral’s former principal altar erected by Archbishop Young – the Bass altar as it is known after its creator Australian sculptor Tom Bass - has in consultation with Tom Bass’s widow, been established in the former Joseph Chapel where its dignity as a significant piece of the Cathedral’s patrimony has been preserved, and it might continue to contribute to the devotional and worship life of the Cathedral.