In the early years of European settlement in Darwin (then known as Palmerston), the European population was small and there was no resident Anglican Priest or Church building.

In August 1900 the Diocese of Carpentaria came into existence. It included the whole of the Northern Territory and also Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands, and was the largest Anglican Diocese in the world. Bishop Gilbert White was consecrated as the first Bishop, and made his first visit to Palmerston in 1901. During his visit, it was decided that a block of land should be purchased to build a Church. A committee was established to raise funds for the purchase of the land and for the stipend for a new rector. In the meantime, it was decided that lay preachers would hold services in the Town Hall.

In December 1901 the Rev H P Gocher was appointed as the first Rector of the Parish of Palmerston. After his first service, a general meeting was held and it was decided to build a small Church to seat 100 people.

A contract for the erection of the Church was signed on 4 th June 1902, with Victor Voules Brown as the contractor. The contract sum was ₤435. The foundation stone was laid on 12 th July 1902 amidst great ceremony. The first service was held on 26 th October, and the Church was consecrated by the Bishop of Carpentaria on 2 nd November 1902.

The Precinct consists of the Christ Church Cathedral (completed in 1977), the adjacent ruins of the original Christ Church, and the associated memorial gate facing Smith Street. These are all landmark structures with distinctive aesthetic values, and are closely associated with some key events and phases in the history of Darwin. They are highly valued by the community for a range of reasons.

The ruins include the remains of the first Anglican Church built in Darwin in 1902, one of very few stone buildings built at the time. The portico added in 1944, which forms part of the ruins, was built as a memorial to those who died whilst on active service in the Northern Territory during World War Two. The ruins as a whole serve as a reminder of the destruction of Cyclone Tracy in 1974, when the Church was all but destroyed, leaving only the porch, and part of the front wall of the original 1902 building behind.

The memorial gate was built in 1944, and then rebuilt in 1965. It is symbolic of efforts made by members of the armed forces and the wider community to remember the events of World War Two.

The new Cathedral is symbolic of the determination to rebuild after Cyclone Tracy. It is a good example of the types of Church designs produced in Australia in the 1970s as a result of the Movement for Liturgical Change within the Anglican Church, which began in the late 1960s. It has also been recognised for its individual architectural excellence. It serves a continuing role as the major Church for the Anglican congregation in the Northern Territory, and has broader social significance as a place of quiet refuge, and a venue for important community events.