Labor MPs have celebrated the reopening of a historic Anglican church in the city of Ballarat in Victoria as a Sikh temple.
Federal Member for Ballarat Catherine King wore a head scarf as she attended the official opening of the Gurdwara Sahib temple on Sunday, calling it an “exciting day for the Sikh community”.
The former Holy Trinity Church on Albert Street in Sebastopol was first opened for worship in 1868, but was closed in 2024 and sold by the Anglican Diocese of Ballarat in June this year for $885,000.
Ms King posted for photos with Sikhs at the opening ceremony where she made a speech, and state Labor MP Juliana Addison also spoke at the event while dressed in a matching Sikh outfit and headscarf.
“The former Holy Trinity Anglican Church was a important source of community in Sebastopol. While its doors closed in 2024, the building has now been wonderfully restored, and will once again be the centre of so many wonderful community celebrations as the Gurdwara Sahib,” Ms King said.
Ms Addinson said: “It was a true honour to attend the opening of the Ballarat Sikh new gurdwara in Sebastopol. This new place of worship is more than bricks and mortar; it is a place that celebrates the Sikh values of compassion, equality and selfless service.”
Photos from inside the ceremony show the church has had a new ceiling added and the interior completely remodelled with what appears to be marble and wooden wall cladding, while the pews have been replaced with carpet.
A huge Sikh symbol has been placed on the roof, and new signage has been added.
Earlier this year Indian immigrants in Ballarat called for Punjabi to be taught in government schools so their children would feel more accepted.
At the time of the 2021 Census the Indian-born population of Ballarat was 1,846, and there were 651 Sikhs. The total population was 113,763.
There were 764 Punjabi speakers – making it the second most common language used at home other than English. 968 residents spoke Mandarin, 466 spoke Malayalam, 387 spoke Hindi, and 233 spoke Urdu.
Header image: Left, the building on Sunday. Right, Ms Addison and Ms King at the ceremony (Facebook).
