Facts and Statistics

Close
    Show:Hide:
    Show mapHide map

    Australia Click here to visit the Australia Newsroom

    155,383

    Total Church Membership

    0.6% 1-in-166

    Population vs. Church Members

    42

    Stakes

    10101010

    309

    Congregations

    235 Wards
    74 Branches

    143

    FamilySearch Centers

    143

    5

    Temples

    5

    Missions | 7 Districts

    History

    A Brief History of the Church in Australia

    The restored gospel was introduced to Australia in 1840 by William Barratt, a 17-year-old British convert who had been ordained to preach just before his family immigrated to Australia. Other missionaries and immigrant members arrived in the following years, organizing the first branch in 1844 and a mission in 1851. Many early members emigrated to help build up the kingdom of God in Utah, but a few remained in Australia.

    In the early 1900s, the Church began establishing a more stable presence in Australia. The first Church-owned meetinghouse was dedicated in 1904. At the end of World War I, after assuring the government that missionaries were no longer encouraging converts to emigrate, the Church was granted permission to send more missionaries to the country. After World War II, Church members participated in an ambitious building program to construct chapels around the country. In 1960 stakes were organized in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne and were among the first stakes organized outside North America.

    In 1984 the first temple in Australia was dedicated in Sydney. The hearts of members turned to their ancestors (see Malachi 4:5–6), and Saints faithfully pursued family history work to preserve both immigrant and Aboriginal Australian histories. By 2003 there were also temples in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane, and by 2016 there were roughly 150,000 Church members organized into 40 stakes.

    For Journalist Use Only

    Robert Dudfield
    Australia
    Phone:  +61-2-9841-5429

    E-mail

    Africa

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    736,701

    Members

    2,476

    Congregations

    Missions

    39Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    343

    Temples

    5Temples

    Asia

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    1,259,094

    Members

    2,110

    Congregations

    Missions

    45Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    363

    Temples

    8Temples

    Europe

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    500,239

    Members

    1,350

    Congregations

    Missions

    34Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    658

    Temples

    14Temples

    North America

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    9,489,479

    Members

    18,476

    Congregations

    Missions

    174Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    2,621

    Temples

    112Temples

    Oceania (Pacific)

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    587,462

    Members

    1,301

    Congregations

    Missions

    18Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    314

    Temples

    10Temples

    South America

    Total Church Membership

    Members
    Congregations

    4,232,425

    Members

    5,602

    Congregations

    Missions

    97Missions

    FamilySearch Centers

    1,106

    Temples

    21Temples