At Cape Town, in South Africa, the foundation stone of the Anglican church on the present site was laid on 23 April 1830 by the governor Sir Lowry Cole, and the building opened for worship on 21 December 1834. The present Gothic cathedral, designed by Sir Herbert Baker in Table Mountain sandstone, had its foundation stone laid on 22 August 1901 by the Duke of Cornwall and York, the future King George V; work resumed in 1904 after the Anglo-Boer War and the north transept was completed only in 1936, after more than three decades of building in phases. The cathedral is commonly described as the oldest in southern Africa. On 7 September 1986 Desmond Tutu was installed there as Archbishop of Cape Town, the first black archbishop in South African history, a post he held until 1996, making St George’s his seat and the base from which he led many campaigns against apartheid; his remains rest today before the high altar. Through the apartheid years, when the law imposed racial segregation, St George’s stayed open to worshippers of every race, earning it the nickname “the People’s Cathedral”. On 13 September 1989, days after a violent police action with a purple-dyed water cannon against demonstrators in the city centre (on 2 September, known as the “Purple Rain Protest”), around 30,000 people set out on a peaceful march from St George’s itself, led by Tutu and the mayor Gordon Oliver, without police intervention: a turning point in the history of South African resistance. The cathedral is still the active seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town.
About St George’s Cathedral
St George’s Cathedral, in Cape Town, South Africa, traces its origins to the foundation stone laid on 23 April 1830 by Governor Sir Lowry Cole for an earlier Anglican church, which opened for worship on 21 December 1834. The present Gothic Revival cathedral, designed by Sir Herbert Baker in Table Mountain sandstone, had its own foundation stone laid on 22 August 1901 by the Duke of Cornwall and York, the future King George V; construction resumed in 1904 following the Anglo-Boer War, and the north transept was not completed until 1936, following more than three decades of staged building. The cathedral is commonly described as the oldest in Southern Africa. On 7 September 1986, Desmond Tutu was enthroned as Archbishop of Cape Town at St George’s, becoming the first Black African to hold the position, a post he held until 1996, making the cathedral his seat and the base from which he led numerous anti-apartheid campaigns; his remains are interred today in front of the high altar. Throughout the apartheid era, when South African law enforced racial segregation, St George’s remained open to worshippers of every race, earning it the nickname “the People’s Cathedral.” On 13 September 1989, days after a violent police crackdown on protesters in central Cape Town involving a purple dye-loaded water cannon — the incident known as the “Purple Rain Protest,” on 2 September — roughly 30,000 people set out on a peaceful march from St George’s itself, led by Archbishop Tutu and Cape Town Mayor Gordon Oliver, unchallenged by police, a watershed moment in the final years of South African resistance to apartheid. The cathedral remains today the active seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town.
Key facts
- 1830-1834: the first Anglican church on the site, foundation stone and opening
- 1901-1936: the present Gothic Revival cathedral, designed by Herbert Baker
- 1986-1996: Desmond Tutu’s tenure as Archbishop of Cape Town, seated at St George’s
- “The People’s Cathedral”: stayed open to all races throughout apartheid
- 13 September 1989: a 30,000-strong peace march sets out from the cathedral, unchallenged by police
- Desmond Tutu’s remains interred in front of the high altar since his death in December 2021
History
St George’s Cathedral’s role as a multiracial sanctuary throughout the apartheid era, remaining open in defiance of the country’s segregation laws, made it one of the central physical symbols of the South African anti-apartheid movement, a status cemented by Desmond Tutu’s decade as its archbishop. The September 1989 peace march that set out from its doors, following days of violent police confrontation with protesters elsewhere in the city, marked a rare moment when authorities allowed a mass anti-apartheid demonstration to proceed unhindered, foreshadowing the political transformation that followed within a few short years.
What you see
Herbert Baker’s Gothic Revival design, built in Table Mountain sandstone over more than three decades, rises in the heart of Cape Town’s city centre, its interior housing memorials and stained glass connected to the cathedral’s role in South African history. Desmond Tutu’s grave, set before the high altar, draws visitors alongside the cathedral’s continuing function as the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town.
Practical information
- Opening hours: generally open daily with seasonal variation; free admission; check current hours before visiting
- Address: 5 Wale Street, Cape Town, South Africa
Getting there
St George’s Cathedral stands in central Cape Town, near the Company’s Garden, easily reached on foot from most parts of the city centre. GPS: 33.9250° S, 18.4194° E.
Nearby
- Company’s Garden — historic public garden, a short walk away
- Grand Parade — the square that was the destination of the 1989 peace march
- Houses of Parliament — South Africa’s legislative buildings, nearby
Sources
- Wikipedia — “St. George’s Cathedral, Cape Town” (en.wikipedia.org)
- South African History Online — coverage of the 1989 Cape Town peace march (sahistory.org.za)
- Daily Maverick — “The September 1989 Cape Town peace march” (dailymaverick.co.za)
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