St Paul’s image enhances public square

The newly installed image of a horse-drawn carriage in front of a Victorian Gothic-style church reflects a bygone era in Bunbury’s CBD.

The photo of St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, captured in safety glass, has been positioned at the site the historic building once stood, on the corner of Victoria and Stephen streets.

The public square, also home to the “singing toilets” and the bust of Lord John Forrest, has undergone a make-over with a new garden bed, paving and seating.

Last year, three big caledonia trees were removed and replaced with evergreen ash trees.

City of Bunbury landscape architect Myles Bovell said the revamp of the area, which would provide some historical context to Bunbury’s past, had been in the pipeline for several years.

Mr Bovell said the image included a brief history of the site which recognised the significance of the building to the Bunbury community.

A small church was built on the site in 1845 but was later replaced by St Paul’s Church, a brick and shingle building built by William Spencer in 1866.

The church became a Pro-Cathedral in 1903 but was later demolished after St Boniface Cathedral had been built to better cater for the growing congregation.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of February.