Here’s Your First Look Inside the Renovated Hamilton New Zealand Temple

August 23, 2022

The public is invited to tour the newly renovated Hamilton New Zealand Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This historic building was the first Latter-day Saint temple in the Southern Hemisphere and will be open to the public for the first time in more than 60 years.

The First Presidency of the Church has announced that the open house will be held from Friday, August 26, 2022, to Saturday, September 17, 2022, except for Sundays, August 28, September 4 and September 11, 2022. The open house gives people of all faiths the opportunity to tour the temple’s beautiful interior and grounds and learn more about the purpose of these sacred structures. Tours are free, but visitors are encouraged to reserve an appointment at HamiltonTemple.NZ.

Following the public open house, the temple will be formally dedicated on Sunday, October 16.

The temple is located at 509 Tuhikaramea Road in Temple View. It is 4,204 square meters and stands 47.5 meters tall from the main entrance to the top of the spire.

The temple, which was originally dedicated on April 20, 1958, has been closed since July 2018 for extensive renovation. The building underwent significant structural upgrades to meet national seismic standards. On the exterior, the historic painted concrete masonry remains unchanged. The blocks were manufactured on site by the original construction crew, most of whom were labor missionaries who donated their time.

Inside the temple, the layout has been reconfigured for better flow and efficiency. Some parts of the original design were restored, including the historic murals. There are also new design elements that reflect the work of the original builders of the temple and local Māori traditions. The temple features oak millwork created by craftspeople in Hamilton and decorative paintings derived from local Māori patterns.

The Hamilton Temple currently serves approximately 117,000 Latter-day Saints in New Zealand. An additional temple is under construction in Auckland, and it was recently announced that another temple will be built in Wellington.

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differ from meetinghouses or chapels, where members meet for Sunday worship services. Each temple is considered a “house of the Lord,” where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve others.