Christchurch  Catholic  CATHEDRAL 

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, is often described as one of the finest examples of church architecture in Australasia. Built during early 1900's with completion in 1905, Francis William Petre  a New Zealand-born architect well known for building churches, convinced the Bishop that a cathedral based on the rectangular plan of the early Christian basilicas, and neo-classical in style, was more appropriate and more affordable than the Gothic style that the Bishop initially favoured. 

Sadly the Cathedral suffered major damage in the 2011 earthquakes rendering it closed and unsafe for the public, which is immense shame as it was the most beautiful building I witnessed upon my travels in Christchurch.  This year (2015) the Catholic Diocese announced plans to possibly invest up to $45 million dollars to preserve the building especially the nave. 

Photo credits: Aye P Kaye