Archbishop's Palace to have permanent heritage listing

10/7/96

The State Government has moved to protect the heritage values of Archbishop's Palace, the historic seat of power of the Archbishop of Perth.

Heritage Minister Richard Lewis said Archbishop's Palace, in Victoria Square, would be placed on the Heritage Council of Western Australia's permanent register of heritage places.

Mr Lewis said the building had housed the Pope during his 1986 visit to the State and was rich in historic, heritage and religious values.

A grand, three-storey building in the Federation Academic Classical style, Archbishop's Palace was the idea of Bishop Joseph Serra, who became Bishop of Perth in 1850.

"The Catholic community in Perth at the time was small, but had an increasing amount of wealth," the Minister said.

"The Catholic brothers of Subiaco and later of New Norcia provided labour for the construction of the building. At one stage 33 brothers were working on the building, which was a substantial input of labour.

"The finished building was very impressive and provided a stark contrast to the humble workers' cottages surrounding it," Mr Lewis said.

"An early photograph shows a Georgian style building of two-and-a-half storeys, with a long east-west axis and a gable roof covered with shingles."

Mr Lewis said that in 1910, the then bishop was forced to resign from the diocese for financial reasons. His replacement, Bishop (later Archbishop) Clune, called for tenders to improve the Palace.

This was despite the church cutting back on its building program.

Prominent architect Michael Cavanagh, who had been responsible for many of the Catholic Church's ecclesiastical buildings, was commissioned to redesign Archbishop's Palace.

Cavanagh extended and refurbished the 1855 building in the Federation Academic style, but left the original parts substantially intact.

Further additions were made in the mid-1930s, following the style used by Cavanagh.

Mr Lewis said the building was held in high regard by members of the Roman Catholic community as the seat of power for the Archbishop.

"It is an important reminder of the development of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Australia and the importance of religion in the general community," he said.

"Archbishop's Palace is also an important part of the Victoria Square precinct on 19th century ecclesiastical buildings belonging to the Roman Catholic Church.

"The others include St John's Pro-Cathedral, St Mary's Cathedral, the Convent of Mercy and Mercedes College."

Mr Lewis said the building was still used as the Archbishop's offices and as short-term residential accommodation, although the Archbishop no longer lived there.

His Holiness the Pope stayed at Archbishop's Palace during his 1986 visit to Perth.

Mr Lewis said Archbishop's Place was in good condition and although it had been remodelled in 1911, large portions of the original building were intact.

Media contact : Bronwyn Hillman 222 9595, 221 1377