St Francis Xavier Cathedral is the most striking building in Geraldton and one of the most remarkable pieces of ecclesiastical architecture in regional Australia. It was designed by Monsignor John Hawes, an English architect-priest whose idiosyncratic style blended Romanesque, Byzantine, and Italian vernacular influences in ways that should not work but emphatically do. Construction began in 1916 and continued intermittently until 1938.
The building's twin towers, the rounded apses, and the use of local stone give it a Mediterranean character that sits oddly — and wonderfully — against the Western Australian sky. The interior is cool and spacious, with a barrel-vaulted nave, terracotta tile floors, and stained glass that Hawes himself designed. Hawes built or designed more than twenty churches, chapels, and presbyteries across the Geraldton diocese; if the cathedral has captured your attention, pick up the Monsignor Hawes Heritage Trail brochure inside and visit some of the smaller country churches.
Marine Terrace in central Geraldton. Free entry; the cathedral is usually open during daylight hours.