News Release

Leura Latter-day Saint Chapel Recognized for Unique Design

Set high on a hilltop, the stunning chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Leura can be admired from the Great Western Highway, west of Sydney.

This piece of architectural brilliance was designed by Ken Woolley, assisted by Dale Swan and Lynn Vlismas of the architectural firm of Ancher/Mortlock/Woolley. Built in 1983, the building won a Merit Award from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 1984 and has been featured in two books.

Light is the overall theme of the interior, being brought in from four sources to play on a volume of white surfaces. The result is a serene and spiritual space for the congregation. The exterior incorporates simple clean lines, and the white roof and walls help reflect the hot Australian sun away from the building. Graham Sully, then the Church’s Pacific Area physical facilities manager described it as “one of the best chapels we ever built.”

Soon after visitors enter the building they encounter the baptismal font, a powerful declaration of the importance of baptism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The chapel is well known in the Blue Mountains, and local Bishop Nicolas Faivre says at least once a month chapel tours are freely given to tourists who walk in off the street.

The building is also open every Sunday from 9am for anyone wishing to visit and enjoy this iconic piece of paradise.

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