Some of the special features of the church have been lost, or at least covered, over the years. Stencilling on the chancel/sanctuary roof has been painted over. A painting above and on each side of the chancel arch has also been painted over, see interior, but many beautiful details remain.
An original design of the High Altar by Wardell is held by the State Library of New South Wales. The paper has not survived intact, so a transcription of Wardell’s annotations cannot be certain (see below). However, the drawing is the same structure as the altar today. The centre panel and surrounds shape and design are the same, only the two side panels have a different scene to what was noted on this design.
The original Caen stone altar was executed by Bolton & Swales. Sculpted within its frontal are Our Lady seated with the Infant (reminiscent of the Basilica of our Lady of Walsingham) with the Annunciation and the Visitation on the panels either side. A raised ledge carrying the tabernacle has the inscription ‘O sacrum convivium in quo Christus sumitur’.
Originally this altar once had a reredos, too, comprising 12 niches for statues of what appear to have been mainly women saints with larger niches on each side for Our Lady and St Joseph. On either side of the high altar are corbels with angels carrying statues of St Thomas More and St John Fisher. The altar rails are stone and marble.
There are ornate stone sedilia, which are seats built into the wall, near the altar for clergy, and piscina (a stone basin) designed by Wardell, as seen in his preparatory drawings.
The carved cornices of foliage in the chancel ceiling have the lines from the hymn Ave Maris Stella, and the ceiling panels have monograms to Blessed Virgin Mary. In a letter of 5 November 1850, Fr North tells John Hardman, who manufactured the boat lamp, wrought iron gates and some of the stained glass, that he will divert money he had allocated to the bell, to be spent on the ceilings of the chancel and Blessed Sacrament.
The “painting and gilding roof of chancel… decorating them with symbols of the Passion & emblems of BV. Gilding 36, 16 in bosses… 72 small bosses & ball flowers and 52 feet carving 6 inches wide with inscriptions”, cost £65 and took three weeks. It took a further 12 days for the tower ceiling.
There is an original suspended sanctuary lamp. Pugin is believed to have drawn the low, lectern style pulpit for stonemason and builder George Myers to create in stone.
A memorial brass, under the modern altar of Sicilian marble, records that the first two priests of this church, Richard and Joseph North are buried here. Their remains both lie underneath. Apparently, Richard’s coffin was reinterred to be alongside his brother. The floor is of encaustic Minton tiles similar to those designed by Pugin for the Palace of Westminster.
We know that there were two tabernacles for the high altar - a cheap one was made first – “A wood tabernacle with quatrefoils carved on moulded painted doors gilt cap and base and lined with white silk”. The price was £5 10s.
A finer tabernacle followed, (which is in the church now), “A circular brass tabernacle …. Having round it 4 quatrefoil pillars …. Chubb’s patent locks with 2 keys …. Lined with white silk”. The price was £100.
This is an original design of the altar by Wardell – and an attempt to transcribe what is written:
• A - filled in with lily ornament
• B - a bas relief of the Israelites feeding on Manna in the wilderness?
• C - filled in with vine lily ornament for background in a pot flowering, raised (illegible) ground
• D - a mezzo relieve of the Blessed Virgin seated on a throne (illegible) by two angels.
• E - the same as Panel C.
• F - a bas relief of the (illegible) of the B eucharist.
• G - same as Panel A.
The drawing is the same structure as the altar today, the centre panel and surrounds shape and design are the same, only the two side panels have a different scene to the eucharistic theme noted on this design.
