Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Temple Locale

Located just a few miles northeast of Adelaide's city center in the suburb of Marden, the Adelaide Australia Temple stands next to a college campus on Lower Portrush Road, a major route through suburban Adelaide. The granite edifice, capped with a gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni, is surrounded by trees and gardens with gathering plazas on each of the four sides of the building.

Temple History

The Adelaide Australia Temple was the second temple built in Australia, following the Sydney Australia Temple (1984).

On August 13, 1982, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sydney Australia Temple, Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who presided at the service, said: "There is no reason in the world why we can't have temples in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth as soon as warranted by the numbers and the faithfulness of the Australian Saints." His words would be fulfilled just over twenty years later, beginning with the Adelaide Australia Temple.¹

Before the Adelaide Australia Temple was built, Adelaide-area members traveled between 15 and 20 hours each way to the Sydney Australia Temple.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Adelaide Australia Temple was held on the same day as the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Louisville Kentucky Temple and Veracruz Mexico Temple.

The groundbreaking service for the Adelaide Australia Temple was held in the nearby Firle Chapel under heavy rain that drummed on the roof of the building. Following the site dedicatory prayer, as the congregation proceeded to the temple site to break ground, the rain stopped and dark clouds gave way to blue skies. Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone, who presided at the ceremony, said that because of the members' commitment to temple attendance, they "surely merit a temple in their midst."²

The Adelaide Australia Temple generated a high level of community interest as local media outlets carried numerous stories describing the construction activities. Two weeks before the open house, extensive radio and newspaper advertising invited the public to tour the building, resulting in 49,303 visitors during the eight-day open house.

The Adelaide Australia Temple was dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley on an 11-day trip to Asia and the Pacific where he dedicated four temples. He dedicated the Fukuoka Japan Temple on Sunday, June 11, the Adelaide Australia Temple on Thursday, June 15, the Melbourne Australia Temple on Friday, June 16, and the Suva Fiji Temple on Sunday, June 18, 2000.