Christ Church Cathedral is an extraordinary piece of architecture in a dramatic setting. Australia's largest provincial cathedral, dating back to 1893. Stylistically the building expresses the significant changes from the Victorian period of architecture with its reliance on academic correctness to the freer realisations of the Federation period and its influence by the Arts and Crafts movement in Australian architecture. At 10.27 am, on Thursday 28th December 1989, the city of Newcastle in New South Wales was struck by the first significant earthquake to affect an Australian urban area. The earthquake, registering 5.6 on the Richter scale and with a Modified Mercalli Index of up to VIII, had an epicentre approximately 14 km south west of the city's centre. The most important building to be severely damaged was Christ Church Cathedral.