 St Monica's War Memorial Cathedral follows the basic form of the original basilica model of the early churches of the Roman Latin Rite.When commissioned to design the Cairns Cathedral, architect Ian Ferrier had designed the cathedrals of Darwin and Port Moresby, and during his career designed many projects for the Catholic Church throughout Queensland, including some 25 churches and chapels, as well as the Coat of Arms of the Bishops of Queensland.St Monica's War Memorial Cathedral is an integral member of a highly intact ecclesiastical group which includes the Old Cathedral, Bishop's House, St Joseph's Convent and St Monica's High School Administration Building, located on a site which has had a strong association with the Catholic community of the region since the Irish Augustinian fathers founded the parish of St Monica in 1885.