Adelaide Australia Temple

Dedication of the Adelaide Australia Temple

At the groundbreaking of the Sydney Australia Temple on Aug. 13, 1982, Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “There is no reason in the world why we can’t have temples in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.”

A temple for Adelaide was announced March 17, 1999, and temples in each of the cities Elder McConkie mentioned would also receive temples within the coming five years, fulfilling his prophetic words.

After the temple’s construction in Adelaide, the 12,000 Church members in the temple district invited their friends and family to tour the building during its open house, which saw 49,303 visitors. The Adelaide Australia Temple was then dedicated June 15, 2000, by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Robert Wilmott, a fifth-generation Latter-day Saint and the building’s first temple president, told the Church News how grateful he was to serve in the Lord’s house. He said, “I feel I can now honor those who prepared the way for me to be a member of the Church by serving my fellowmen and our Father in Heaven in the temple.”

Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “All that is done here will be in recognition of the immortality of the human soul. ... There will be carried forward in this house a great work of redemption in behalf of the dead, many of whom have waited long for these saving ordinances. May this be a day of rejoicing on both sides of the veil, and may all who have the privilege of working here feel the obligation and responsibility of this great vicarious service.”

Read the dedicatory prayer of the Adelaide Australia Temple here.

A temple for Adelaide was announced via letters to priesthood leaders in the temple district on March 17, 1999. The groundbreaking ceremony for the temple was held May 29, 1999.

Visitors toured the completed house of the Lord from June 3-10. The Adelaide Australia Temple was dedicated by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley on June 15, 2000.

Architecture and Design of the Adelaide Australia Temple

The 10,700-square-foot Adelaide Australia Temple was built on 6.94 acres of land, and snow white granite makes up the temple exterior. Grass fields, trees, shrubbery and sidewalks fill the temple grounds.

The interior of the temple features two instruction rooms and two sealing rooms. Both the Melbourne Australia Temple and the Adelaide temple, which were dedicated a day apart and built during the same time, have the same square footage, number of instruction and sealing rooms, and exterior finishes.