St. George’s Cathedral. 375 
The foundation stone was laid on November 21, 1889 and from the 
Daily Chronicle we learn that “streaming banners and National flags 
marked the site of the ceremony. From a raised platform almost shaded 
by the gracefully hanging branches of an ancient tree the Bishop (Austin) 
conducted the ceremony. A detachment of the Ist West Indian Regiment 
was present. Among those present were the Governor (Lord Gorman- 
ston), the Lieutenant Governor (Sir C. Bruce), the Chief Justice (Sir D. 
Chalmers), the Inspector General of Police (Col. Cotton), the Mayor (Mr. 
Drysdale), Archdeacons Wyatt and Farrar, and some 10,000 people.” 
Archdeacon Austin (the Dean) said in the course of his speech: “ This is 
the usual course in building large Churches and Cathedrals, a long time 
in preparation, and more or less long pauses before the completion. Laus 
Deo, praise be to God for this beginning, small though it be, compared 
with what remains to be done [how true these words have proved to be] : 
May we not hope that the general good spirit exhibited by everyone is 
an omen of future success and that before long we may see a Cathedral 
Church, noble in its size and beautiful in its proportions, of which 
materially and spiritually we may say * Hic Domus Dei est et Porta 
Celi!” 
The Bishop, betore laying the foundation stone, said, amongst other 
things :—‘‘ Since the day when 47 years ago I consecrated the first 
Cathedral many have come and gone and I know of none at this present 
hour with whom in those earlier days I had any relationship or 
acquaintance. I appear to myself as one stranded and yet Ja m not alone, 
as [ believe that the gathering to-day is a sign of the sympathy which is 
not always experienced by those who have lived for others rather than 
themselves. The spot on which we stand to-day I have always looked 
upon as holy ground. It is the spot on which the banner of the Cross 
was first publicly unfurled by the Church of England just eighty years 
ago.” By this time the oval which now exists had been formed by filling 
up a Canal and dividing the road round the building, giving to the 
Cathedral a splendid site, with roads from North, South, East and West 
meeting in the oval. 
Soon after this Archdeacon Austin resioned and Canon May 
succeeded him, and during the period 1890-2 the new Dean worked with 
that stubborn force of will and indomitable enregy that characterised all 
his ministry. And this brings us to the consecration of the new Cathedral 
on the fiftieth Anniversary of the consecration of our revered Bishop, 
S. Bartholomew's Day, August 24,1892. The following is a description 
of the building :—‘ The edifice is cruciform resting on a massive 
concrete wall of a nearly uniform height of 6’ 9”, except at the East end, 
where the basement walls and crypt are higher. The finest and most 
durable greenheart, supplied by Mr. Bugle, has been used. The dimen- 
sions are: length 180’, width 150’. The nave and transept roofs are 
supported by iron columns plain Gothic in style, in keeping with the 
character of the building. The walls are of greenheart filled in with 
