St John's Cathedral

The twin towers of St John's Cathedral have dominated Parramatta's skyline since the 1820s, built by convict labor to a design attributed to Francis Greenway. But here's the remarkable thing: the original 1803 church was so poorly built that everything except the towers had to be demolished and rebuilt in the 1850s. The towers survived because they were the only part solid enough to keep. Samuel Marsden, the 'flogging parson' known for his brutal treatment of convicts, served here as chaplain from 1794 to 1838. His grave lies in the churchyard, and his reputation for cruelty echoes still.