The Church in Australia

The first missionary of the Church to Australia was William Barratt, a 17-year-old English convert who arrived in 1840. He was followed a year later by Andrew Anderson from Scotland, who organized the first branch in 1844. Many early converts emigrated to the United States, including Joseph Ridges, who was an organ builder. He later built the organ that was used in the historic Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

In the mid-1950s, the Church in Australia was caught up in an unprecedented surge in membership that has continued ever since. This surge resulted from a number of factors, including fewer converts emigrating to Utah, much-improved social acceptance of the Church in Australia, the start of an intensive chapel-building program, growing numbers of local leaders, and an emphasis on missionary work.

The country’s first temple (shown below), located in Sydney, was completed in 1984.

Here are a few facts about the Church today in Australia:

Membership	126,767
Missions	7
Temples	5
Wards & Branches	284
Family History Centers	148