Brisbane Australia Temple Wiki

Quick Facts

---

Description

The Brisbane Australia Temple serves members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Queensland and northern New South Wales. Prior to the dedication of the Brisbane Australia Temple, members would travel 550 miles south to the Sydney Australia Temple

History

The Church has an interesting history in Australia. The first missionary sent to Australia was seventeen-year-old William James Barratt from England. He arrived in Australia in 1840 and stayed until his death in 1890, the whole time teaching the gospel. In 1841, Andrew Anderson from Scotland became the second missionary in Australia. On October 31, 1851, the first missionaries from the United States arrived in Australia. The Church did not take a firm hold in Brisbane until after 1890, but it grew quickly and soon became the site of the first Mormon meetinghouse in Australia, constructed in 1904.

Church membership in Australia is strong and has grown rapidly. In 1955 there were only 3,000 members in Australia. Then, in the mid-1950s, roughly 100 years after the first missionaries set foot on Australian ground, Australia saw an unprecedented boost in membership that has continued for more than 50 years. This surge can be attributed to a decline in Church members immigrating to the United States, a growing social acceptance of the Church and the building of numerous chapels, which increased the number of local leaders and members attending Church meetings.

Now there are 186 meetinghouses throughout Australia and more than 106,000 members. The Brisbane Australia Temple is a direct result of this increased membership.

Announcement

Render Released

Plans were initially submitted to the city around 23 July of 1999, and reception was apparently favorable. ^[2]Purdie, Daniel. “Brisbane Australia Temple – News Archive.” Brisbane Australia Temple – News Archive, 4 August 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20000708155046/http:/geocities.com:80/Heartland/Acres/1756/temp_old.html.

A Public meeting was held on 11 October 1999 for local community members to answer concerns over the proposed temple.^[3]Purdie, Daniel. “Brisbane Australia Temple – News Archive.” Brisbane Australia Temple – News Archive, 13 October 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19991013004701/http://geocities.com:80/Heartland/Acres/1756/temple.html

While the project was approved by the Brisbane City Council in 2000, the church had issues with some of the restrictions and operating conditions placed upon the temple. These restrictions included the restraint that only one of the two buildings, The Temple or the Chapel, but never both, could be used at a time. Furthermore, the City was requiring an acoustical barrier around the site. Temple grounds are traditionally very quiet by design.^[4] Marx, Anthony. “Temple to Transform City Skyline.” The Courier-Mail, .

These restrictions were further aggravated by complaints from neighbors who complained the new complex would be to busy or block views.^[5] Marx, Anthony. “Temple to Transform City Skyline.” The Courier-Mail, .

Render Released

The issue was scheduled to go to court on 26 February 2001 with the Planning and Environment Court^[7] Marx, Anthony. “Temple to Transform City Skyline.” The Courier-Mail, . All issues were satisfactorily settled just three days prior to the court date with newly negotiated design conditions.^[8] Purdie, Daniel. “Court Case Settled!” Latest News – BrisbaneTemple.Net, 23 Feb. 2001. In exchange for lifting a limitation on the hours of operation of the temple, the Church has agreed to reduce the height of the platform on which the temple and adjoining meetinghouse will be built and to reduce the height of the 11-meter meetinghouse spire. The floor area has also been reduced and the roof line changed to minimize its impact of the views neighbors have of the city.

Render Released

Groundbreaking

Construction Commencement

Construction began in November of 2001. The historic Brisbane Australia Stake Center was razed to make way for the Brisbane Australia Temple and a new stake center.

Open House Announced

The Church announced on 17 March 2003 that the Brisbane Australia Temple would hold a public open house May 10-June 7, 2003, except for Sundays May 11, May 18, May 25 and June 1. The dedication date will be announced later.^[11]Church News Archives. “Brisbane Temple to Open Doors.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2003/3/15/23240708/brisbane-temple-to-open-doors.

Dedication Announced

A month and a half after the open house announcement, the Church announced the dedication of the Brisbane Australia Temple. The temple will be dedicated in four sessions June 15, 2003, and open for ordinances on Monday, June 16, 2003. In conjunction with the Dedication announcement, The church announced the first PResident and Matron of the temple.^[12]Church News Archives. “Brisbane Dedication, President Announced.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2003/5/3/23240357/brisbane-dedication-president-announced.

Open House

Dedication

Dedicatory Order

Dedication Order

Recognition

The Brisbane Australia Temple’s state-of-the-art architecture and interior design were recognized by the Brisbane community. In 2003, the same year the temple was completed, it won the Brisbane Project of the Year award from the Queensland Master Builders Association. The judges noted “the intricate finishes, including the granite cladding, coffered and domed ceilings, timber paneling and mouldings, marble floor tiling, gold leaf and decorative artwork,” the association stated.^[15]“President Hinckley Dedicates Temple, Visits Members ‘Down Under,’” Ensign, Sept. 2003, 75. The temple was also honored in the Community Service Facilities category.

Presidents and Matrons

Temple President	Temple Matron	Years Served
Garth Stuart Pitman	Joanne Davies Pitman	2024–
Richard Gilbert Trimble Gordon	Karen Joyce Park Gordon	2021–2024
Douglas Walter Hill	Margaret Jean Bayfield Hill	2018–2021
Robert Malcolm Cowan	Jennifer Anne Jeffrey Cowan	2015–2018
Grant Alan Pitman	Donna Pearl Burns Pitman	2013–2015
Dirk Smibert	Kerry Ann Benson Smibert	2012–2013
John Raymond Gibson	Kathryn Esther McVinish Gibson	2009–2012
Terence Leonard Davies	Nola Yvonne Richards Davies	2006–2009
John Douglas Jeffrey	Lois Gay Jeffrey	2003–2006

Details

Location

The Brisbane Australia Temple is located on the striking Kangaroo Point cliffs, overlooking the Brisbane River and central business district. The beautiful granite building sits adjacent to an equally lovely meetinghouse built at the same time. Parking is available in an underground lot beneath the temple. The landscaped grounds of the temple are open to the anyone who wishes to admire the beautiful buildings or the expansive views from the cliffs.

Exterior

Spire and Moroni

Spire

Moroni

The temple’s single spire rises 71 feet in the air, and a striking gold-leafed statue of the angel Moroni, a prophet from the Book of Mormon, sits atop the spire and represents the invitation for all to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sources and Citation