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St John’s Pro Cathedral

Welome to St John’s Pro Cathedral

In 1843, approval was granted from the Vatican for a Catholic mission in Western Australia. Soon after, Father John Brady, Father John Joostens (a Belgian priest), and Patrick O’Reilly (a catechist) arrived in Fremantle aboard the ship Water Witch. 

Although Father Brady stayed in Perth for only two months, he achieved something very important—he secured a piece of land on Victoria Avenue for a church. This site would become home to the first Catholic cathedral in the colony: the Church of St John the Apostle and Evangelist, later known as St John’s Pro-Cathedral. 

Construction of the church began on 27 December 1843, and the foundation stone was laid on 16 January 1844. Later that year, Father Brady travelled back to Rome to seek support and to advocate for the creation of a new diocese in the Swan River Colony. 

When Brady returned to Perth in January 1846, now as a Bishop, the church officially became a cathedral, as it was the seat of the Bishop. The chair he brought with him from Europe still remains in the Pro-Cathedral today. 

St John’s quickly became the centre of Catholic life in the colony. It served as the main place of worship for the Catholic community in Perth from 1844 until 1865, when St Mary’s Cathedral was completed and took its place as the city’s cathedral. 

During this time, there were changes in leadership. Following disputes, Bishop Brady left Perth in 1852. He had already been replaced in 1850 by Joseph Serra, who extended the church in 1855, doubling its size using brick. The church was then rededicated as the Immaculate Conception, and in 1856, a brick portico was added to the western side. 

After St Mary’s Cathedral opened in 1865, the building became known as St John’s Pro-Cathedral. It continued to serve the community in new ways. The Christian Brothers used it as a school, and in 1881, the Sisters of Mercy renovated it and renamed it St John’s Chapel, using it as the school chapel for Mercedes College. 

In 1965, the building was modernised and used as a classroom for both convent students and external students learning English. Later, between 1979 and 1980, careful restoration work was carried out. Additions that did not match the original design were removed, and the building was adapted for use as a museum by the Catholic Church. 

Today, St John’s Pro-Cathedral holds an important place in the history of Western Australia. It was the first Roman Catholic church in the state and later became its first cathedral. It is closely linked to the early establishment of the Catholic Church and religious orders in the region, and it continues to be highly valued by the Catholic community.  

References: Heritage Council of WA – Places Database |  

  • Rossen, I. (n.d.). St. John Evangelist Pro Cathedral Victoria Avenue, Perth Western Australia. A Sequential Building Study for the Purpose of Restoration.[