On the right-hand side as you look towards the High Altar is a very large, canopy-covered seat. This is the cathedra - the Bishop’s chair, symbolising the teaching responsibility and authority of the bishop. The word cathedra is the Greek word for a seat. This is the reason that this large church building is called a cathedral.

This is the second cathedra in our cathedral.  The former one is now used as the Dean’s stall. The platform, chair and canopy were designed by Susan Scrymgour of Woods Bagot Architects and were made locally by Panczak and Willenberg.  The Prayer Desk in front of the cathedra was originally the prayer desk at the congregation end of the choir stalls on the lectern side (when the Bishop was the Rector of the Cathedral).   It bears the arms of the Diocese of Adelaide on one side and the arms of the Bonython family (who donated the stalls in 1927) on the other.

The cathedra was placed in its present location in the Crossing in 1992.