Industrial worksites are not usually beautiful landscapes. Once closed, many are quickly demolished and the land reclaimed for more aesthetic purposes. Yet to those who worked there, that place is vested with a particular significance. In recent decades, societies around the world have come to recognize the significance of ‘place’ to individuals and to groups. Using the example of the Western Australian Government Railway [WAGR] Workshops at Midland, now a State heritage icon, this paper argues that there is significant social and historical value in retaining and reusing industrial sites, appropriately and sensitively interpreting their past. As demonstrated by this paper’s title, workshop sites signify thousands of working people, shaping their lives and defining their identity. Taking Aplin’s (2002) observation that European Gothic cathedrals are part the collective heritage of western civilization, this paper argues that ‘cathedrals of industry’ should be similarly treasured. The Midland Workshops, therefore, is part of Perth’s, Western Australia’s, and Australia’s collective heritage.