Where It's Located
The Sydney Australia Temple is located at:
756 Pennant Hills Road
Corner Pennant Hills Road & Moseley Street
Carlingford, New South Wales 2118, Australia
The temple is approximately 12 miles northwest of downtown Sydney in the suburban community of Carlingford.
The three-acre property is shared with Church area offices and a patron housing facility.
Getting There
For international travelers, Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport is the primary gateway to the city.
The temple is in Sydney's northwestern suburbs, so travelers staying in central Sydney will need to allow additional time to reach Carlingford.
Sydney's public transportation network includes trains, buses, ferries, and light rail, although depending on where you're staying, a car or rideshare may be more convenient for reaching the temple.
The temple is currently operating and has patron housing available. There is no public visitors' center.
The First Temple in Australia
The Sydney Australia Temple holds a special place in the history of the Church because it was the first temple built in Australia.
Before its construction, Australian Latter-day Saints had to travel outside the country to participate in temple ordinances.
The temple therefore represented a major change for Church members throughout Australia.
Temple Announcement
The Sydney Australia Temple was announced on April 2, 1980.
At the time, the announcement represented an important milestone for the growing Church community in Australia.
The temple eventually became a spiritual center for members throughout the country and the wider region.
The Temple Site
The temple was built on property that had previously been used as a school for boys.
Rather than abandoning the existing buildings, the Church renovated them and converted them for Church use, including area offices.
This gave the temple property a useful combination of temple, administrative, and residential facilities.
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking and site dedication took place on August 13, 1982.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie presided over the ceremony.
Elder McConkie had a particularly strong connection to Australia because he had previously served as a mission president there.
At a fireside that evening, he spoke about the possibility of additional temples in Australia.
He specifically mentioned Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth as places where temples could eventually be built if the number of Latter-day Saints justified them.
His prediction proved remarkably accurate.
Australia would eventually receive temples in all four of those cities.
A Remarkably Prophetic Statement
Elder McConkie's 1982 statement is one of the most interesting pieces of the Sydney Temple's history.
At the time, Australia had only one temple—the one being constructed in Sydney.
He said there was no reason the Church could not eventually have temples in:
- Adelaide
- Melbourne
- Brisbane
- Perth
- Other locations where membership justified them
The Church eventually built temples in all four cities he named.
The Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth temples now form part of Australia's growing network of temples.
Public Open House
The Sydney Australia Temple held its public open house from September 6–18, 1984.
The open house lasted 12 days and attracted thousands of Australians.
The public response was significant.
Hundreds of people who toured the temple subsequently requested additional information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Dedication
President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Sydney Australia Temple on September 20–23, 1984.
The dedication took place over four days, reflecting the importance of the temple to the growing Church membership throughout Australia.
The Sydney Temple became the 28th dedicated temple in operation.
Temple Expansion
The temple didn't remain exactly as it was when first dedicated.
An addition was completed several years later, and President Russell M. Nelson rededicated the addition on November 24, 1991.
This allowed the temple to better accommodate the needs of its growing temple district.
Architecture
The Sydney Australia Temple contains approximately 30,067 square feet of floor space.
The temple rises approximately 127 meters, or 418 feet in elevation, according to the temple's published statistics.
Its exterior is constructed using:
- Precast panels
- White quartz finish
- Terra-cotta roof tiles
The combination gives the building a clean, bright appearance that contrasts beautifully with the surrounding greenery.
The Angel Moroni Spire
The temple features a single attached end spire topped by an Angel Moroni statue.
The spire rises from one end of the building rather than from a central tower, giving the Sydney Temple a distinctive profile.
The Angel Moroni statue provides the most recognizable vertical element of the structure.
The Temple Grounds
The grounds are one of the Sydney Temple's most appealing features.
The temple sits among large eucalyptus trees and award-winning landscaping.
The landscaping was specifically noted for maintaining attractive form and color throughout the year.
The mature Australian vegetation gives the temple an unmistakably local setting.
A Peaceful Suburban Setting
Despite being part of one of the world's largest cities, the Sydney Temple has a remarkably peaceful setting.
Carlingford is a suburban community rather than a downtown environment.
The combination of mature trees, landscaped grounds, and the temple's relatively secluded setting creates a very different atmosphere from the skyscrapers and busy streets of central Sydney.
Inside the Temple
The Sydney Australia Temple contains:
- Two instruction rooms
- Three sealing rooms
- One baptistry
These facilities allow the temple to provide the major ordinances performed by Latter-day Saints in temples.
Temple Patron Housing
Patron housing is available on the property.
This is particularly useful for members traveling significant distances to attend the temple.
Australia is geographically enormous, so even with multiple temples throughout the country, some members still face long journeys.
The Temple's Role in Australian Church History
The Sydney Australia Temple represents the transition of the Church in Australia from a community dependent on overseas temples to one with an extensive temple network of its own.
When the Sydney Temple was announced, it was the first.
Today, Australia has additional temples in cities including:
- Adelaide
- Brisbane
- Melbourne
- Perth
Those cities were specifically mentioned by Elder McConkie during the Sydney Temple groundbreaking.
Workers Asked Questions
One interesting detail from the temple's construction involves the workers themselves.
Many of the workers involved in building the temple were not members of the Church.
As they worked on the project, numerous workers became curious about the purpose of the building and asked questions of Frank Hewstone, the Church's project representative.
The temple therefore became an opportunity to introduce people to the Church even before construction was finished.
A Temple That Generated Interest
The public open house continued that pattern.
Thousands of Australians toured the completed building in September 1984, and hundreds requested additional information about the Church afterward.
This illustrates one of the reasons temple open houses are such significant events.
Before a temple is dedicated, the public can see portions of the building that will later be reserved for members who qualify to enter.
Exploring Sydney
A trip to the Sydney Australia Temple gives visitors access to one of the most recognizable cities in the world.
Sydney combines:
- Beaches
- Australian wildlife
- Historic neighborhoods
- World-class architecture
- National parks
- Harbor scenery
- Museums
- Restaurants
There is easily enough to fill several days beyond a temple visit.
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is arguably the city's most famous landmark.
Its distinctive sail-shaped roofs sit directly on Sydney Harbour and make it one of the world's most recognizable buildings.
Visitors can take guided tours, attend performances, or simply walk around the surrounding harbor area.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Just across the harbor is the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The bridge offers spectacular views of the harbor and city.
For adventurous visitors, the BridgeClimb experience allows participants to climb along the upper structure of the bridge with guides.
Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach is one of Australia's most famous beaches.
It's located on Sydney's eastern side and is an excellent place to experience the city's beach culture.
The coastal walk from Bondi toward Coogee is particularly popular, with dramatic ocean views throughout the route.
Taronga Zoo
For wildlife, Taronga Zoo Sydney is one of the city's highlights.
The zoo is home to Australian animals as well as species from around the world.
Its location overlooking Sydney Harbour also makes the experience unusually scenic.
The Blue Mountains
One of the best additions to a Sydney temple trip would be a day trip to the Blue Mountains.
Located west of Sydney, the region features dramatic cliffs, eucalyptus forests, waterfalls, and the famous Three Sisters rock formation.
The landscape offers a completely different experience from central Sydney.
Australian Wildlife
Australia's wildlife is another major attraction.
Depending on where you travel, you may encounter:
- Kangaroos
- Koalas
- Wallabies
- Wombats
- Echidnas
- Cockatoos
A trip outside central Sydney makes it easier to experience Australia's natural environment.
Sydney Food
Sydney's food scene reflects Australia's multicultural population.
You'll find strong influences from:
- Asian cuisine
- Mediterranean cuisine
- Middle Eastern cuisine
- British and Australian traditions
Popular Australian foods to try include meat pies, sausage rolls, lamingtons, pavlova, and Australian-style barbecue.
Why the Sydney Temple Matters
The Sydney Australia Temple is more than just another temple in the Church's worldwide network.
It was the first temple built in Australia.
That made its 1984 dedication a major milestone for Australian Latter-day Saints.
It also became the foundation for the country's later temple expansion.
From One Temple to Many
The growth that followed is especially interesting.
At the Sydney Temple groundbreaking in 1982, Elder McConkie spoke about the possibility of future temples in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
Today, all four of those cities have temples.
That means the Sydney Temple can be viewed as the beginning of Australia's modern temple network.
Current Status
The Sydney Australia Temple is currently operating.
Its major milestones include:
- Announcement: April 2, 1980
- Groundbreaking: August 13, 1982
- Public open house: September 6–18, 1984
- Dedication: September 20–23, 1984
- Addition rededicated: November 24, 1991
- Current status: Operating
Planning a Temple Visit
Latter-day Saints planning to visit should check the current temple schedule before traveling.
The temple has patron housing, which can be useful for members coming from outside Sydney.
There is no public visitors' center, so visitors interested in learning about the Church should plan to visit other Church facilities or attend an appropriate public event instead.
Final Thoughts
The Sydney Australia Temple is one of the most historically important temples in the Southern Hemisphere.
Announced on April 2, 1980, it became the first temple built in Australia. Groundbreaking took place on August 13, 1982, and President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the temple on September 20–23, 1984.
The temple's story also contains one particularly remarkable prediction. At the groundbreaking, Elder Bruce R. McConkie spoke of future temples in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. All four cities would eventually receive temples, turning his statement into a remarkably accurate glimpse of Australia's future temple growth.
Today, the 30,067-square-foot temple sits on a three-acre property in Carlingford, surrounded by mature eucalyptus trees and extensive landscaping. Its white quartz exterior, terra-cotta roof tiles, and single attached spire give it a distinctive Australian character.
For Latter-day Saint travelers, a trip to the Sydney Australia Temple could combine temple worship with Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, Bondi Beach, the Blue Mountains, Australian wildlife, and the history of the Church's first temple in the country.
Scott & Riah
Brough Made
broughmade.com
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