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28th temple dedicated
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Dedication of the Sydney Australia Temple
The first Australian Latter-day Saint temple was announced by the First Presidency of the Church in a news conference on April 2, 1980.Rocky Boileau, a Sydney native, spent four years of his childhood in a boys home that once stood where the temple was built. Boileau spoke to the Church News in 1984 at the temple dedication and said that “when it was announced a temple would be built on this site, I knew the reason why I never wanted to move out of the area. I’m thrilled and excited that where I spent much of my childhood, there is now a temple.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley, second counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the Sydney Australia Temple in 14 sessions from Sept. 20-23, 1984. Over the course of the 14 sessions, 7,689 members were in attendance.
“I believe the God of heaven smiles on us today,” President Hinckley said in the first dedicatory session. “This is a tremendous day. There will never be another like it in Australia, even though someday there may be other temples here. I’m satisfied there will be.”
President Hinckley was accompanied by Elder Marvin J. Ashton and Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. At the dedication Elder Perry said, “We must have righteousness to construct temples. Righteousness brings light and beauty to our Heavenly Father’s children.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “Father, wilt Thou accept this temple as the gift of Thy thankful sons and daughters. Wilt Thou and Thy Son be pleased to visit it, and may Thy Holy Spirit be found here always. May it be used with reverence and love by Thy covenant children in accomplishing the sacred work for which it has been constructed. May it be as a beacon to Thy Saints throughout the land. May it be as an anchor when the storms of life beat about them. May it be a place of holiness to which they may come, a house of sanctification, a house of prayer, a house of covenants.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Sydney Australia Temple here.
Timeline of the Sydney Australia Temple
April
02
1980
Announced
A temple for Sydney, Australia, was announced at a news conference by Church President Spencer W. Kimball and his counselors — presidents N. Eldon Tanner, first counselor; and Marion G. Romney, second counselor — on April 2, 1980.
August
13
1982
Groundbreaking
Ground was broken for the temple on Aug. 13, 1982. Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided over the groundbreaking ceremony.
September
06
1984
Open house
The public was invited to tour the completed house of the Lord from Sept. 6-18, 1984.
September
20
1984
Dedication
The Sydney Australia Temple was dedicated from Sept. 20-23, 1984, by President Gordon B. Hinckley, second counselor in the First Presidency. A total of 7,689 Church members attended the 14 dedicatory sessions.
The First Presidency of the Church announced a temple for Sydney, Australia, in a news conference on April 2, 1980. The groundbreaking ceremony for the temple was held Aug. 13, 1982.
Visitors toured the temple during its open house from Sept. 6-18, 1984. The Sydney Australia Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, second counselor in the First Presidency, from Sept. 20-23, 1984.
The interior features three sealing rooms and two instruction rooms.
Visitors toured the temple during its open house from Sept. 6-18, 1984. The Sydney Australia Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, second counselor in the First Presidency, from Sept. 20-23, 1984.
Architecture and Design of the Sydney Australia Temple
The 30,067-square-foot Sydney Australia Temple was built on 3.06 acres. The exterior walls are precast panels with a white quartz finish, and the roof is made of blue terracotta tiles.The interior features three sealing rooms and two instruction rooms.
Quick Facts
Announced
2 April 1980
Dedication
20 September 1984
Dedicated by
Current President and Matron
Location
756 Pennant Hills Road
Carlingford, New South Wales 2118
Australia
Appointments
View schedule and book online
(61) 2-9841-5471
Additional Facts
Fact #1
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Australia.
Fact #2
It was announced as one of seven temples, which, at the time, was the most temples announced at the same time in Church history. The seven other temples announced were in the following six locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; Nuku‘alofa, Tonga; Apia, Western Samoa; Papeete, Tahiti; and Atlanta, Georgia.
Fact #3
The Sept. 6, 1984, start date for the Sydney temple open house fell on the same week as open houses for two other temples — the Manila Philippines Temple on Sept. 4 and the Dallas Texas Temple on Sept. 8 — marking the first time in Church history that three temples opened for public viewing in the same week.
Fact #4
The Sydney Australia Temple was dedicated within a week of the Manila Philippines Temple, which was the second time in Church history that two temples had been dedicated within a week of each other. The first time was a year earlier, when the Apia Samoa Temple and the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple were dedicated on Aug. 5 and Aug. 9, respectively, of 1983.
Additional Facts
Fact #1
This was the first Latter-day Saint temple in Australia.
Fact #2
It was announced as one of seven temples, which, at the time, was the most temples announced at the same time in Church history. The seven other temples announced were in the following six locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; Nuku‘alofa, Tonga; Apia, Western Samoa; Papeete, Tahiti; and Atlanta, Georgia.
Fact #3
The Sept. 6, 1984, start date for the Sydney temple open house fell on the same week as open houses for two other temples — the Manila Philippines Temple on Sept. 4 and the Dallas Texas Temple on Sept. 8 — marking the first time in Church history that three temples opened for public viewing in the same week.
Fact #4
The Sydney Australia Temple was dedicated within a week of the Manila Philippines Temple, which was the second time in Church history that two temples had been dedicated within a week of each other. The first time was a year earlier, when the Apia Samoa Temple and the Nuku‘alofa Tonga Temple were dedicated on Aug. 5 and Aug. 9, respectively, of 1983.