Nukunu Country

Quoted from tourist display outside Cathedral
Since 1875 there has been a Church on this site. In 1881 a more permanent Church was built. The stone on the north side of the Church dated 1911 marked the extension and completion of St Mark’s Church. It was destroyed by fire in 1947. In 1951 the name of the Diocese was changed to Port Pirie. In 1952 Bryan Gallagher was named Bishop of Port Pirie and St Mark’s Church then being built was to be the Cathedral. It was blessed and opened on March 1, 1953. In 1979 the pipe organ, built by Dodd in 1900 for the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide, was installed in the Choir Gallery. The memorial stone on the pillar of the gates commemorates Father O’Mahoney who died in 1922.

“From Ashes to Glory” was the headline which described the completion of St. Mark’s Cathedral in 1953. St. Mark’s Church in Port Pirie was destroyed in a disastrous fire in 1947. Because of rigorous post-war building restrictions, nothing could be done immediately to restore the church and when this became possible, it was decided to rebuild it as the Cathedral of the Diocese.
The Cathedral stands on the exact site of the old church, the walls of the church and the hall behind becoming the walls of the Cathedral. Because of the restrictions of the time, only a very small gallery was provided and while the Catholic newspaper, “The Southern Cross” recorded how the choir at St. Mark’s, on the opening day, was a triumph, having been trained by Mr. Brian Meegan who presided at the organ for the Sunday’s function, his father conducting, the organ was only a single keyboard harmonium. This was later replaced by a two manuals and pedals Estey reed organ from the Calvary Hospital Chapel.
The Diocese of Port Pirie began as the Diocese of Port Augusta in 1887, under Bishop O’Reily. Successive Bishops lived at Pekina and Peterborough and it was in 1951 that Bishop McCabe announced the change of name of the Diocese, that the Bishop’s official residence would be at Port Pirie and that St. Mark’s would become the Cathedral.
Before this could be carried out, Bishop McCabe was transferred to the Diocese of Wollongong and it was left to his successor, Bishop Gallagher, to take up residence in Port Pirie and to oversee the completion of the Cathedral which was blessed and opened on 1st March 1953 by a former Bishop of the Diocese, Cardinal Gilroy of Sydney.

Visit this website compiled by Paul Scott.

For Dodd's Sake - Famous Australian Organ Builders, Vol. 1 - YouTube
Concert Organist – Mr Thomas Heywood
Recorded from 29 June – 1 July 1999 on the organs in St Mark's Cathedral, Port Pirie (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7–10, 16); Parkside Baptist Church (tracks 2, 4, 6); St. John's Church, Adelaide (tracks 11, 15); Clayton Memorial Uniting Church (tracks 12–14)