Bendigo’s long-neglected city gateway is about to get a dramatic facelift, with the commencement of works on the Cathedral Square development.
The Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst will transform the vacant corner of Short and High streets into a landmark precinct beside Sacred Heart Cathedral, one of Bendigo’s most iconic buildings.

The project blends sustainable architecture, inviting landscaping, and a flagship tourism tenant in a design that promises to revitalise the Cathedral precinct into a civic showpiece and new drawcard for visitors.

The new Cathedral Square development will feature a flagship tourism chocolatier, injecting jobs and fresh activity into the precinct. The development will also provide modern office space for Diocesan and Catholic Education staff, a new parish hall, and extensive landscaping with community gathering spaces.

Diocesan Administrator, Fr Brian Boyle, highlights the value of improving this significant city site.

“Construction of Sacred Heart Cathedral commenced in 1897 on land purchased by Rev Dr Henry Backhaus. Many residents will remember that the spire, bell tower, sanctuary and sacristy was not completed until 1977. A range of other buildings have been below the Cathedral over the years, and they will finally be replaced by a prominent development that will respect one of the world’s biggest neo-Gothic Cathedrals.

The design incorporates offices, a parish hall, commercial tenants and plenty of public open spaces terracing down to the crown land on the corner of Wattle Street.”

Acting Business Manager, Greg Westbrook, said the development would draw greater patronage to the Cathedral, which in turn would assist the Diocese in maintaining the Cathedral for future generations.

Local leaders have welcomed the project as a catalyst for precinct renewal and a boost for the City’s visitor economy.