St George's Cathedral, Cape Town, circa 1860

Hammer

R480

St George's Cathedral, Cape Town, circa 1860

More Information

Lithograph
29,5 by 23cm unframed

The St George's Cathedral that now stands on the site depicted in this picture was replaced by a cathedral designed by Sir Herbert Baker. In October 1827, the Bishop of Calcutta, on a visit to Cape Town (at the time a distant outpost of his diocese) discussed the building of an Anglican church. The Anglicans had used the Castle for services as well as being offered the use of the Groote Kerk. The Colonial Government donated a site at the lower end of the Dutch East India Company's gardens at the corner of Government Avenue and Wale Street and the bishop consecrated the land. Governor Sir Lowry Cole laid the foundation stone on St George's Day April 23rd, 1830 and at the same time Erste Berg Dwars St was renamed St George's St. The church was built from drawings by architect John Skirrow based on W and H Inwood's neo-Greek St Pancras' Church in London. The church opened on December 21, 1834. On Edmund Roberts' visit Georg Hough was the chaplain and the church had a capacity of 1000 people with 300 seats fopr the poor.