St. Andrew’s Cathedral:
A Brush with Sydney’s History
There’s something magical about being in the heart of a city as historic and vibrant as Sydney and my recent plein air painting at St. Andrew’s Cathedral proved the point. Nestled right next to Sydney Town Hall, this stunning piece of architecture is the oldest cathedral in Australia, completed in 1868, and it truly stopped me in my tracks.
I was originally on my way to paint somewhere else when I walked past the cathedral and immediately felt pulled in. The intricate Gothic Revival details, warm sandstone hues, and its unique presence among the modern cityscape were too inspiring to ignore. It was as if the building itself was asking to be painted.
Setting up my easel in the bustling CBD, with the hum of the city around me, is always a joy. As I painted, bystanders and also students of the St. Andrews Cathedral School stopped to chat, asked questions, and shared their own stories about the cathedral. That spontaneous connection with both the place and the people is one of the reasons I love painting on location.
Capturing a piece of national heritage like St. Andrew’s feels like an honor. Not only is it a beautiful subject artistically, but it’s also a reminder of how rich Sydney’s cultural and historical landscape is.
Stay tuned for more plein air adventures from Sydney!
