Melbourne Australia Temple

Melbourne Australia Temple
Melbourne Australia Temple
Closed for renovation
Number	90
Dedication	June 16, 2000, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Site	5.98 acres (2.42 ha)
Floor area	10,700 sq ft (990 m2)
Height	71 ft (22 m)
	Official website • News & images
Church chronology
Additional information
Announced	October 30, 1998, by Gordon B. Hinckley
Groundbreaking	March 20, 1999, by P. Bruce Mitchell
Open house	June 2–10, 2000
Current president	Andreas Erich Wolfgang Schwabe
Designed by	Warwick Tempany and Church A&E Services
Location	Wantirna South, Victoria, Australia
Geographic coordinates	37°52′7.586400″S 145°12′45.43920″E / 37.86877400000°S 145.2126220000°E
Exterior finish	Snow white granite of Campolonghi, Italy
Temple design	Classic modern, single-spire design
Baptistries	1
Ordinance rooms	2 (Movie, two-stage progressive)
Sealing rooms	2
Notes	In April 2024, the temple was closed for minor renovations. It is anticipated to reopen in December 2024. Since the renovations are not considered major, no open house or rededication is planned.[citation needed]
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The Melbourne Australia Temple is the 90th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

History

On 30 October 1998, the LDS Church's First Presidency announced that a temple would be built in Melbourne, Australia.^[2] The Melbourne Australia Temple is one of five temples in Australia. Previously, members from the area had traveled twelve hours one-way to visit the Sydney Australia Temple.

Missionary work was slow in Australia until the 1950s when the number of people joining the church suddenly exploded. In 1955, there were 3,000 members in Australia, five years later there were almost 10,000. By 1970, the number of members had more than tripled to 32,000. In 1980, it had jumped to 50,000. Today^[when?] there are more than 100,000 members in Australia, making the LDS Church the fastest growing Christian church in the country.^{[citation needed]}

On 20 March 1999, a groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication was held.^[3] The site for the temple is 5.98 acres (24,200 m²) and is also the site of a meetinghouse. After construction was completed, a public opne house was held from 2–10 June 2000. Those who toured the 10,700-square-foot (990 m²) temple were able to see the craftsmanship, the celestial room, two sealing rooms, two ordinance rooms, baptistery, and learn more about LDS Church beliefs.

Gordon B. Hinckley, the LDS Church's president, dedicated the Melbourne Australia Temple on 16 June 2000.^[4] Four dedicatory services were held to accommodate all the members that wanted to attend. The temple serves 18,000 members in ten stakes from Victoria, Tasmania, and Southern New South Wales.

In 2020, like all those in the church, the Melbourne Australia Temple was closed for a time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5]

In April 2024, the temple closed for minor renovations and is expected to reopen in December 2024.^{[citation needed]}