Australia news live: Sydney to get first new cathedral in more than a century; Qantas flight circles off coast for nearly three hours

Irish architect Niall McLaughlin will lead the design of the Roman Catholic cathedral in the suburb of Waitara

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Sydney is getting its first new Roman Catholic Cathedral in more than a century, part of a massive 7.7-hectare integrated precinct in the northern suburb of Waitara. Irish architect Niall McLaughlin, winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Royal Gold Medal, will lead the design.

The new cathedral is expected to be a unifying force for more than 250,000 Catholics in more than two dozen parishes in the Diocese of Broken Bay, stretching from the lower north shore to the Central Coast.