Major facelift

THE Catholic Church is planning a multi-million dollar renovation and extension of St Mary’s Cathedral in central Perth’s Victoria Square.

WA’s largest church, St Mary’s was originally built in the mid 1800s. Further work was done in 1905 and in 1920 a major extension was carried out but never fully completed. Eighty years on and the Church hopes to finish the extensions as demand grows for more pews. The cathedral is often used for State functions and funerals.

Melbourne-based architect Fred Chaney from Cox Sanderson Ness, son of former Federal politician Fred Chaney and nephew of Wesfarmers CEO Michael Chaney, has been commissioned to draw up plans, by a Catholic Church committee set up early this year to oversee the project.

Committee chairman and Wesfi Limited chairman Dennis Cullity declined to comment on those plans.