Recognising Nan Tien Temple’s local significance

With its pride of place on the hill in Berkeley, the Nan Tien Temple has been a focal point of the local landscape since it opened nearly 30 years ago.

Tonight, Wollongong City Council threw its support behind a nomination prepared and lodged by Nan Tien Temple for a State Heritage Nomination.

Read the Council report

The nomination currently being considered by the NSW Heritage Council was submitted to recognise the temple as a significant cultural institution within the community.

“The temple itself is well-known in the Wollongong community being such a distinctive landmark and eye-catching building,’’ Wollongong Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.

“I applaud the proactive step taken by the temple to seek to have the important space, that is sacred to so many and draws people from all over the world to Wollongong, listed on the State Heritage register.

“Council supports this move to see the temple’s Buddhist architecture, landscaping, temple and Pagoda buildings protected.’’

When it was being constructed, Nan Tien Temple was the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere. Construction started in 1992 with the main buildings completed between 1993 and 1997.

While Council supported the application for a Heritage Listing, we proposed that the listing focus only on the temple-owned land and that neighbouring Council land be excluded from the proposed curtilage.

This is due to the fact that this land, currently leased to the temple, includes an access driveway that’s linked to the Wollongong Memorial Gardens and former crematorium operation.