Hamilton New Zealand Temple

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hamilton New Zealand Temple
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple
Number	11	edit data
Announcement	1955-02-17
Groundbreaking	1955-12-21 by Ariel Ballif, Wendell B. Mendenhall, and George R. Biesinger
Open House	28 March–19 April 1958
Dedication	1958-04-12 by David O. McKay
Location	509 Tuhikaramea Road Temple View Hamilton 3218 New Zealand
Phone number	(64) 7-846-2750
Site	86 acres (35 hectares)
Total floor area	44,212 ft² (4,107 m²)
Height	157 ft (48 m)
Exterior finish	concrete block and white painted structural steel
Temple design	Modern contemporary, single spire
Ordinance rooms	1
Sealing rooms	3
Clothing rental	Yes
Preceded by	Los Angeles California Temple
Followed by	London England Temple
Official website • News & Images

The Hamilton New Zealand Temple (formerly the New Zealand Temple) is the 13th constructed and 11th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located just outside the city of Hamilton, New Zealand in the suburb of Temple View, it was built with a modern single-spire design very similar to the Bern Switzerland Temple.

The building of an LDS temple in New Zealand was announced by David O. McKay, the ninth president of the LDS Church, on February 17, 1955. With its completion in 1958, it was the first temple built by the LDS Church in the Southern Hemisphere.

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held on December 21, 1955. The site of the temple is on 86 acres, which includes the LDS-owned Church College of New Zealand, a secondary school for students aged twelve to eighteen. The temple is 44,212 square feet, has one ordinance room, three sealing rooms, and a baptistery. The spire rises to a height of 157 feet. The Hamilton New Zealand Temple was built entirely by Church labor missionaries who volunteered all of their time. Local members supported these workers with money, food, and lodging.

Hugh B. Brown, then an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, placed the ceremonial cornerstone of the temple on December 22, 1956. The temple was open for public tours for 23 days prior to the dedication. During this time about 112,500 people toured the temple. The Hamilton New Zealand Temple was dedicated by David O. McKay on April 20-22 1958. The Hamilton Temple serves Latter-day Saints in New Zealand and nearby South Pacific islands.