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Edna Ord of Melbourne served as the secretary to Elder Bruce R. McConkie when he served as a mission president in Melbourne from 1961-1964. During her service with Elder McConkie, he told her, “I promise you, Edna, you will have a temple in Melbourne.”
After the announcement on Oct. 30, 1998, of a temple to be built in Melbourne, Ord told Church News, “Everybody’s excited. When I heard the announcement, I said, ‘Oh Elder McConkie, you were right.’”
The Melbourne Australia Temple was dedicated June 16, 2000, by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. Murray Lobley, president of the Pakenham Stake in Victoria, Australia, told Church News at the dedication that “the lives of tens of thousands within the Church and without will continue to be touched by the temple — here in Melbourne and beyond.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “It is now vested with a peculiar and wonderful sanctity. Henceforth it will be open only to those who are properly recommended as worthy to enter its portals. As they come here, we pray that Thou wilt endow them with special blessings, with sacred covenants, with wondrous promises that only Thou canst give. May they know that they walk through sacred halls. May they always act reverently as Thy guests. May they leave rejoicing, standing taller as sons and daughters of God, with strengthened resolve to walk in Thy paths.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Melbourne Australia Temple here.
A temple for Melbourne, Australia, was announced Oct. 30, 1998, via letters to priesthood leaders in the temple district from the First Presidency, at the time consisting of Church President Gordon B. Hinckley and his two counselors — Presidents Thomas S. Monson, first counselor, and James E. Faust, second counselor.
Ground was broken for the Melbourne Australia Temple on March 20, 1999. Elder P. Bruce Mitchell, an Area Authority Seventy, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony.
The public was invited to tour the completed house of the Lord from June 2-10, 2000. A total of 28,053 visitors toured the temple during its open house, including local business, community, political and interfaith leaders.
President Hinckley dedicated the Melbourne Australia Temple on June 16, 2000. Approximately 5,000 Church members attended one of four dedicatory sessions.
A temple for Melbourne was announced via letters to priesthood leaders in the temple district on Oct. 30, 1998. The groundbreaking ceremony for the temple was held March 20, 1999.
Visitors toured the completed house of the Lord from June 2-10, 2000. The Melbourne Australia Temple was dedicated by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley on June 16, 2000.
The 10,700-square-foot Melbourne Australia Temple was built on 5.98 acres of land, and snow white granite makes up the temple exterior. Grass fields, trees, shrubbery and walkways fill the temple grounds.
The interior of the temple features two instruction rooms and two sealing rooms. Both the Melbourne temple and the Adelaide Australia 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.
30 October 1998
16 June 2000
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This was the third Latter-day Saint temple in Australia.
It was announced the same day as the Villahermosa Mexico Temple.
This is the southernmost house of the Lord in Australia.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Melbourne Australia Temple was held on the same day as the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Fresno California Temple, Fukuoka Japan Temple and Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple.
Ross Smith, a Victorian Member of Parliament for the local electorate, wrote a letter to Church leaders in the area after he attended the temple open house, saying, “No one could fail to be impressed by the superb building and its outstanding facilities — a tribute to the strength of the Church and the effectiveness of its work in the community. You have every reason to be proud of your Church’s achievements.”
President Hinckley dedicated three temples other than the Melbourne Australia Temple on the same trip, including the Fukuoka Japan Temple, the Suva Fiji Temple and the Adelaide Australia Temple, which was dedicated a day before the temple in Melbourne.
This was the third Latter-day Saint temple in Australia.
It was announced the same day as the Villahermosa Mexico Temple.
This is the southernmost house of the Lord in Australia.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Melbourne Australia Temple was held on the same day as the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Fresno California Temple, Fukuoka Japan Temple and Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple.
Ross Smith, a Victorian Member of Parliament for the local electorate, wrote a letter to Church leaders in the area after he attended the temple open house, saying, “No one could fail to be impressed by the superb building and its outstanding facilities — a tribute to the strength of the Church and the effectiveness of its work in the community. You have every reason to be proud of your Church’s achievements.”
President Hinckley dedicated three temples other than the Melbourne Australia Temple on the same trip, including the Fukuoka Japan Temple, the Suva Fiji Temple and the Adelaide Australia Temple, which was dedicated a day before the temple in Melbourne.