Sacred Heart Basilica, Timaru
The Sacred Heart Basilica or Timaru Basilica, is a Catholic church in Timaru, New Zealand. Despite its name, it is not legally designated as a basilica by the Catholic Church. It was designed by the New Zealand architect, Francis Petre and is one of his most celebrated works. Its size and appearance make it one of the most important historic buildings of Timaru and of the South Canterbury region. The Basilica's twin towers and copper cupola are highly visible features of the Timaru skyline, especially from the south. The Basilica is also one of the "most noteworthy examples of ecclesiastical architecture" in New Zealand with elements of "Roman and Byzantine architecture with touches of Art Nouveau decoration." It is a registered historic place, category 1.
Sacred Heart Basilica, Timaru
Sacred Heart Basilica north side
Sacred Heart Basilica
The neighbouring Sacred Heart Primary School, directly opposite across Craigie St
Timaru is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located 157 km (98 mi) southwest of Christchurch and about 196 km (122 mi) northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to 28,900 people, and is the largest urban area in South Canterbury, and the third-largest in the Canterbury Region overall, after Christchurch and Rolleston. The town is the seat of the Timaru District, which includes the surrounding rural area and the towns of Geraldine, Pleasant Point and Temuka, which combined have a total population of 48,900.
View down Stafford Street in 2006
Customs House, Timaru. Built in 1902 with local Bluestone
Sacred Heart Basilica, built in 1911
View from bus station in Timaru