6. THE PULPIT The fine pulpit is the work of John Roddis of Birmingham who also carved the font. Birmingham, at that time, was the centre of much of the revived Gothic arts and crafts. His name is on the stone nearest the top step. It is of Caen stone from Normandy and stands upon six columns of English marble and portrays, from the left, the prophet Elijah with the raven that fed him in the wilderness; Christ enthroned holding symbols of his authority and his right hand uplifted in the act of benediction; Moses with the Ten Commandments; Peter with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and Paul bearing the Gospel. Above the pulpit is the Figure of Christ on the Cross. This treasure was carved by the young Edmund Blacket and he brought it on the journey from England in 1842. Blacket died just fourteen months before the cathedral was finished, and his sons completed the work in 1884.

His granddaughter, Gladys, presented the crucifix to the Vice-Dean in 1934 to hang here as a sign that "we preach the faith of Christ crucified" (1 Cor. 1:23). From Blacket's diary on board ship: "Friday, September 30, 1842 - I have been carving a little at my crucifix and hope to get it done before we get to Sydney. My little monkey is a great hindrance for when I am carving, drawing or writing, he is ever on my shoulder to snatch up my tools, and bites off the points of my pencils and splits my pens." [1] [1] Quoted in Nick Vine Hall, My Name is Blacket, N.J. Vine Hall, 1983.