St Patrick’s Church

Australia’s busiest Catholic church (1844) was built on land donated by William Davis, an Irishman transported for his role in the 1798 uprisings. His home (on the site of the chapel-turned-cafe) was arguably the first Catholic chapel in Australia; it was used for clandestine devotions after the colony’s only Catholic priest was deported in 1818. Inside it’s incredibly quiet, which makes the brass altar, the stained glass windows and the colourful statues of St Patrick, St Joan of Arc and St Michael (complete with dragon) seem even more pious. Guided tours are infrequent but worthwhile.