St Kilian’s Church

Architect: WC Vahland, 1888

Building Description

The current St Kilian’s Church was built to replace an 1857 sandstone church on the same site. Designed by the architect WC Vahland, it is over 33 metres long, 16 metres wide and its sanctuary is 9 metres deep. Constructed as a temporary construction and known as the Pro Cathedral, St Kilian’s became a parish church after the opening of the Sacred Heart Cathedral.

St Kilian’s is made entirely of Oregon and hardwood with a Kauri ceiling. The church was extensively renovated in 1982 and the sanctuary redesigned to meet Vatican II changes in the liturgy. Its magnificent organ, built for the Rev Henry Backhaus in 1860 in Paderborn Germany and presented to the church in 1871, was fully restored and re-assembled.

The church was painted inside and outside as close to its original colouring as possible.

Location