All Saints' Old Cathedral

        All Saints' Anglican Church was founded on this site in 1852. The first church was a covered wagon and a tent erected by the Reverend John Herbert Gregory. This tent was in turn followed by a canvas roofed, slab sided building.

        The original part of the building which now stands here is the oldest church extant on the Victorian gold fields, being built from the sandstone of the gold bearing reef upon which it stands.

        The freehold of 1.25 acres was awarded in the crown grant in 1854. On January 22nd 1855, the foundation stone of the sandstone section was laid by Mr Wollaston, one of the original trustees. This original sandstone building was designed as a temporary phase in the building of an imposing structure which included a tower, vestries, galleries, etc. However, this was never completed. In January 1858 the building was severely damaged in a violent storm, the repairs to the building eventually cost £3000.

        The goldminers of early Sandhurst (Bendigo) affectionately referred to All Saints' as the Cathedral of the North. In June 1869 it was proposed that a new All Saints' be built more fitting as a cathedral. Designs were drawn up and the foundation stone laid. However, due to the competition from another new church in Bendigo St Paul's funds were not made available and it was decided to repair the existing building.

        The pipe organ is the oldest on the Bendigo gold fields, having been built for this church in 1865 by Messrs Gray and Davidson of London.