On 23rd July 1802 St John's was declared an Anglican parish by Governor King.

The site on which St Johns Cathedral stands is the oldest continuous place of worship in Australia.
The first church in Parramatta was fashioned from two slab huts on the corner of George and Marsden
Streets and dedicated by Reverend Samuel Marsden in 1796. The foundation stone of the first
specifically designed church on the current site is thought to have been laid by Governor Hunter in
1799 and opened by Reverend Samuel Marsden in April 1803. In 1818 Lieutenant John Watts enhanced
the appearance of the building by adding twin towers of convict made sandstock bricks at the
instigation of Mrs Elizabeth Macquarie. While other parts of the structure have been rebuilt, the
original towers still stand today.