St Joseph's Church, Brougham Street

After St Mary’s Cathedral Church in Hill Street burnt down in 1898, land was chosen near the Basin Reserve as the site for a new cathedral. The Parish of St Joseph’s Mt Victoria was formally founded in September 1913. The parish church, to be built near the Basin Reserve, would replace St Mary’s Cathedral Church in Hill Street burnt down.

In 1945 the church next to St Patrick’s College was demolished, and the parish shifted into a renovated hall built next to the Sisters of Mercy School in Paterson Street to await the construction of their new church. It turned into a long wait.

Continuing uncertainty from the 1970s about plans for a motorway or expanded Mt Victoria tunnel meant that no firm plans could be developed for the site, and in 1983 the Sacred Heart Basilica in Hill Street was dedicated as the Catholic Cathedral of Wellington.

In June 2002 agreement was finally reached with Transit New Zealand, including a land transfer, which established a firm boundary between the parish and State Highway One. The land transfer required part of the existing buildings to be demolished by 31 March 2003 and the new church was constructed opened in 2004.

Ministry of Works motorway design negative: 1321