Archbishop John Bede Polding was Australia's first Catholic bishop and the first Archbishop of Sydney. A Benedictine monk, he arrived in Australia in 1835 and played a pioneering role in establishing the Catholic Church throughout the colony. He was instrumental in founding St John's College at the University of Sydney in 1857, envisioning a centre of Catholic education and intellectual life. Following the destruction of the original St Mary's Cathedral by fire in 1865, Polding commissioned architect William Wardell to design the magnificent Gothic Revival cathedral that stands today. His enduring legacy is reflected in these two great Sydney institutions.
Archbishop John Bede Polding (1794–1877)
Archbishop John Bede Polding was Australia's first Catholic bishop and the first Archbishop of Sydney. A Benedictine monk, he arrived in Australia in 1835 and played a pioneering role in establishing the Catholic Church throughout the colony. He was instrumental in founding St John's College at the University of Sydney in 1857, envisioning a centre of Catholic education and intellectual life. Following the destruction of the original St Mary's Cathedral by fire in 1865, Polding commissioned architect William Wardell to design the magnificent Gothic Revival cathedral that stands today. His enduring legacy is reflected in these two great Sydney institutions.