About the Project

About the Hornsby Cathedral Precinct Project

The Project represents a bold, long-term vision to create a welcoming and integrated community hub that meets the spiritual, educational, and social care needs of the Diocese and local community. It is about developing a purpose-built space that respects the importance of the local parish while serving the entire Diocese. Our goal is to provide facilities that support parish life day-to-day and enable diocesan gatherings and programs. We invite constructive ideas that strengthen both parish and diocesan needs, making the precinct a place we can all be proud of.

At its heart will stand a new Cathedral, supported by a mix of purpose-built facilities. Together, these elements will form a vibrant and cohesive urban village – designed to foster connection, service and shared identity.

The Precinct will be structured around two distinct but complementary domains – the Civic Quarter and the Education Campus.

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Anchored by a new place of worship, the Civic Quarter is where sacred mission and public life converge. It will feature spaces for pastoral outreach, governance, and community engagement. Key elements planned include:
‍A new Cathedral serving the Diocese of Broken Bay, centrally located to support parishes across the deaneries of the Northern Beaches, Central Coast and North Shore.
- A new Parish office for Hornsby Cathedral Parish, with dedicated facilities including a new Parish hall.
- A new Diocesan Office Building bringing together our administrative teams - Chancery, Catholic Schools Broken Bay, and CatholicCare Broken Bay - in one place.
- A new Pastoral Centre, which will be a significant civic asset featuring an auditorium and exhibition space for spiritual events and community gatherings.
- Purpose-built CatholicCare facilities to expand our support services for individuals and families, including a Family Services Centre, Disability Services and a Community Centre.
- New clergy residences to accommodate the Bishop of Broken Bay, Parish priests, and visiting clergy.
- New residential buildings, including a component of affordable housing.
This domain is centred around St Leo's Catholic College and is focused on learning. It will ultimately support students and families from Baptism to Post-School Life by integrating St Leo’s, Our Lady of the Rosary (primary school), an Early Learning Centre (ELC), Out of School Hours Care (OSHC), and post-school options.
For more information on the Education Campus: contact
contact.cathedral@dbb.catholic.edu.au or visit the Catholic Schools Broken Bay website.‍

Project Status

Where do things stand?

We are at the beginning of a long planning approval process to revitalise the Precinct. This will be a generational project delivered in multiple stages over the coming years.

While we have a unified vision for the whole Precinct, the NSW planning system requires some components to follow separate approval pathways. For more information on this process and timing

Planning Process

The Design Journey

Planning for the Hornsby Cathedral Precinct Masterplan has been a long-term and collaborative process. Initial consultations began in 2022 within our Catholic community – parish, schools and CatholicCare – to inform the vision and to understand needs and aspirations.

What is a Masterplan?

A Masterplan is a long-term guide that shows how a site or area could be developed over time. It outlines the vision, key principles, and proposed uses - like buildings, open spaces, and connections - without locking in detailed designs. It helps shape future changes so they are coordinated, considered, and responsive to both planning requirements and community feedback. Have a look at the section below.

About the Masterplan

Explore Masterplan Design Principles

To create visual connectivity

• Prioritising the visibility of the Cathedral as the key element of the Precinct.
• Create a visual height transition up to the Cathedral building.
• Allowing visual corridors between the key elements of the Precinct
To promote a landscape driven Precinct

• The built form seamlessly integrates with the natural elements of the site.
• The existing Blue Gum Forest is preserved and enhanced as a public amenity, and extended as a natural threshold between the Civic Quarter and Education Campus.
• Impact on the natural landform is minimised through shared (contained) parking areas.
To celebrate distinctive sub-precincts

• Grouping relevant/compatible uses to support collaboration.
• Promoting the Civic Quarter on the northern section and Education Campus on the southern side of the site.
To create a connected network of public domains, including:

• A central forecourt that supports various uses and activities for both local and broader communities.
• An extension of the forecourt as a raised shared surface for vehicles and pedestrians across the junction of Yardley and Clarke Roads.
• Tree lined streets, pocket parks and generous gardens.
• Gardens, terraces, learning and play spaces at roof level.
• A network of pedestrian walkways across the Precinct and through the trees.
To develop a responsive, scale and use

• A building size and use which relate appropriately to the neighbouring context.
• Scaled transition is provided to respond to the lower-density surrounding context.
• Special structural markers celebrate the prominence of the Cathedral building and entrance to the education campus.
• Buildings and structures are articulated and permeable.
• The impacts of car parks are minimised.