Sacred Adelaide: A Tour of Adelaide’s Beautiful Churches
- St. Peter's Cathedral
- St. Francis Xavier Cathedral
- St. Patrick's Church
- St. Mary's Catholic Church
- St. Luke's Anglican Church
- St. John's Anglican Church
- St. Stephen's Lutheran Church
- St. Laurence's Catholic Church
- Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel Greek Orthodox Church
- Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas
- Flinders Street Baptist Church
- Bethlehem Lutheran Church
- Trinity Church Adelaide
- Christ Church
- Scot's Church
- The Adelaide Mosque
- Pilgrim Uniting Church
- Brougham Place Uniting Church
Adelaide earned its title as the city of churches for a reason. The CBD boasts places of worship, with iconic landmarks like St. Peter’s Cathedral and St. Francis Xavier Cathedral standing as testaments to the city’s rich spiritual heritage.
This article explores these architectural marvels!
St. Peter’s Cathedral
Address: 27 King William Rd, North Adelaide, SA 5006
Contact Details: (08) 8267 4551
Operating Hours:
- Mon – 10:30 am to 1 pm
- Tue to Fri – 10:30 am to 3:30 pm
- Sat – Closed
- Sun – 8 am to 9 am, 10:30 am to 12 pm, 6 pm to 7 pm
St. Peter’s Cathedral is a Gothic Revival church brought to life by renowned architect E.J. Woods. It has pointed arches, detailed stone carvings, and spires made from trusty local bluestone.
Step inside, and you’ll see a dazzling show of colors thanks to stained glass windows. The interior also has soaring ceilings held up by some seriously fancy columns.
St. Peter’s Cathedral is famous for its concerts, so music buffs should swing by.
St. Francis Xavier Cathedral
Address: 39 Wakefield St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8210 8155
Operating Hours: Daily – 7 am to 7 pm
At the heart of Adelaide, you’ll find the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, a church with 14 bells.
This Gothic Revival church pays homage to the 16th-century Spanish Jesuit missionary saint Francis Xavier and the city’s first bishop, Francis Murphy.
Construction kicked off in 1851, making it the oldest cathedral down under. It’s also truly beautiful, with an exterior featuring artful carvings and an interior with grand arches and several detailed monuments of saints.
St. Patrick’s Church
Address: 268 Grote St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8210 8155
St. Patrick’s Church is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic church that has been a part of the CBD since 1914.
It’s a replacement for the original St. Patrick’s church, which was the first Catholic Church in Adelaide. This place of worship also doubled as a school at one point.
Walter Baggot implemented a simple but stunning Baroque Revival style on this church. Its majestic arches, soft-white palette, and artistic ceiling make it a popular wedding venue.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
Address: 179 Stanley St, North Adelaide, SA 5006
Contact Details: (08) 8210 8155
Operating Hours:
- Mon – Closed
- Tue – 8 am to 9 am
- Wed to Thu – Closed
- Fri – 8 am to 9 am
- Sat – Closed
- Sun – 9:30 am to 10:30 am
The interior of St. Mary’s Catholic Church is not as grand as some other churches in the Archdiocese of Adelaide, but it has a rustic and old-world charm, with its red and brown colonial brick walls.
It can accommodate approximately 30 to 50 individuals and is better suited for intimate or smaller congregations.
St. Luke’s Anglican Church
Address: 35 Whitmore Square, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8231 4149
St. Luke’s Anglican Church is a protestant church in the CBD featuring colonial architecture.
The facade is an exquisite symmetrical masterpiece, showcasing an arched entrance beneath intricately designed stained glass.
The interior is more reserved, with a wooden ceiling and buttresses contrasting the cream-white walls.
St. John’s Anglican Church
Address: 379 Halifax St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8223 2348
St. John’s Anglican Church’s massive tower is a head-turner. The design is colonial, and the radiant garden and greenery nearby add to its splendor.
The church’s inner section is modern. Walls coated with pastel and golden hues adorn the altar, while colorful artwork of angels adds to the church’s charm.
St. John’s Anglican Church is also renowned as a top concert venue, and even its regular masses resonate with exceptional music. This comes as no surprise, as music has always held a significant role in the life of St. John.
St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church
Address: 152 Wakefield St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8223 5491
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – Closed
- Wed to Fri – 9 am to 2:30 pm
- Sat – Closed
- Sun – 9 am to 1 pm
St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church is perched on a tree-lined section of Wakefield St, adding a dash of nature to this sacred space.
Its design is a mix of modern and colonial. Expansive glass windows and doors on stone and brick walls will welcome you here.
There is also a free neighborhood library near the church. You can grab a book and read on the small logs serving as chairs.
St. Laurence’s Catholic Church
Address: 134 Buxton St, North Adelaide, SA 5006
Contact Details: (08) 8344 1347
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – 8 am to 5:45 pm
- Wed – 8 am to 8:30 pm
- Thu to Sun – 8 am to 5:45 pm
St. Laurence’s Catholic Church has one of the most astonishing interiors our team has seen.
There is an impressive balcony that provides a view over the aisle, and the gentle white walls complement the rich, dark brown ceiling. Monuments of saints can be seen at every corner, and gold candelabras give off a faint glow.
The windows on and around the altar are filled with vibrant depictions of saints, and angel figurines are attached to the walls.
Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel Greek Orthodox Church
Address: 282-300 Franklin St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8231 4307
The Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel Greek Orthodox Church near West Terrace’s entrance is characterized by an onion dome.
The interior creates a sense of heavenly awe with its gilded altar full of flowers, frescoes, and glimmering religious artifacts. There’s also an ornate iconostasis, a screen adorned with religious icons.
Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas
Address: 41 B26, Wayville, SA 5034
Contact Details: (08) 8274 1872
The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas is a breathtaking sight, with its pastel white, blue, and green exterior, and it’s crowned with a dome-like roof. This roof rises gracefully, adorned with a shining cross that marks its pinnacle.
Inside, the classic Russian Orthodox interior features an iconostasis, a magnificent wooden screen adorned with vibrant icons, separating the sanctuary from the nave.
The walls and ceilings have exceptional religious paintings, and the soft glow of hanging oil lamps illuminates the space.
Flinders Street Baptist Church
Address: 65 Flinders St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8223 4550
Operating Hours:
- Mon – 9 am to 3:30 pm
- Tue to Thu – 9 am to 5 pm
- Fri – 9 am to 1 pm
- Sat to Sun – Closed
Flinders Street Baptist Church is one of Adelaide’s architectural showstoppers, sporting awe-inspiring Gothic Revival aesthetics. Think elegant curves, artful carvings, and an interior teeming with gold and red!
It’s also not just a pretty structure. This holy place made it to the South Australian Heritage Register on May 28, 1981.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Address: 170 Flinders St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8223 6662
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 9 am to 4 pm
- Sat – 7 am to 10:30 pm
- Sun – 9 am to 12 pm
The Bethlehem Lutheran Church is a real Gothic Revival eye-catcher. Its elegant ivory and beige exterior and spire gracefully emerge from the surrounding tree canopy, making it impossible to miss.
Enter, and you’ll find an airy, sun-soaked space with a pristine white interior and generous windows that let natural light flood in. The altar is embellished with striking stained glass painted with religious symbols and imagery.
Trinity Church Adelaide
Address: 88 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8213 7300
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – 9 am to 5 pm
- Wed – 9 am to 3:30 pm
- Thu – 9 am to 5 pm
- Fri to Sat – Closed
- Sun – 8:45 am to 12:30 pm, 5:45 pm to 8 pm
The Trinity Church Adelaide is an exquisite Gothic Revival structure that knows how to make an entrance—quite literally, as its tower stands tall as the grand gateway.
This church has been a monumental piece of South Australia’s history, serving as a place of worship to some of Adelaide’s first settlers. What’s more, it’s the oldest surviving Anglican church in South Australia.
This heritage-packed beauty earned its place on the South Australian Heritage Register on September 11, 1986. Inside, we found a memorial plaque dedicated to James Hurtle Fisher, Adelaide’s first-ever mayor.
Christ Church
Address: 62-72 Jeffcott St, North Adelaide, SA 5006
Contact Details: (08) 8267 2673
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – Closed
- Wed to Fri – 9 am to 1 pm
- Sat – Closed
- Sun – 8 am to 9 am, 10 am to 11:30 am, 6 pm to 7 pm
Consecrated in 1849, Christ Church is an Anglican church constructed with locally sourced limestone from Palmer Place. The church’s roof tiles from Wilunga are often praised for being the finest the town has produced.
The church is a stellar example of Romanesque Revival architecture. It has rounded arches, robust masonry construction, an apse (a half-circle area at the rear of a structure), and an imposing presence.
Scot’s Church
Address: 237 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8223 1505
Operating Hours: Daily – 9:30 pm to 3:30 pm
You’re in for a treat at Scots Church, another Gothic Revival structure with a spire soaring a staggering 37 meters.
This stone-clad church is more than just a striking facade. Its interior has pristine white walls accentuated by slim horizontal windows featuring religious artwork.
The Free Church of Scotland built the church in 1850, and it was originally named Chalmers Church. It’s a must-see for history lovers, as Scot’s Church is Adelaide’s second oldest place of worship.
The Adelaide Mosque
Address: 30 Little Gilbert St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8231 6443
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 Hours
The Adelaide Mosque, also known as the Central Adelaide Mosque, is the country’s oldest functioning mosque.
It was built by immigrant cameleers from Pakistan and Afghanistan between 1888 and 1889.
The Adelaide Mosque has a single dome and four distinctive minarets gracing the CBD’s skyline.
Pilgrim Uniting Church
Address: 12 Flinders St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8212 3295
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 9 am to 3 pm
- Sat to Sun – Closed
Pilgrim Uniting Church’s stunning facade has an entrance framed by stately columns, with a meticulously detailed stonework centerpiece perched high above the arching gateway.
Inside, its pastel-colored aisle and walls stretch out, flanked by more grand columns. This church was designed by Robert George Thomas, who was one of Adelaide’s early settlers.
The church’s outdoor area is also refreshing, with well-manicured plants and flowers adding colors to the brown and gold stone walls.
Brougham Place Uniting Church
Address: 193 Brougham Pl, North Adelaide, SA 5006
Contact Details: (08) 8267 2657
Operating Hours: Sun only – 9:45 am to 11:15 am
The Brougham Place Uniting Church flaunts the Victorian Free Classical style, courtesy of Edmund Wright. It has classic and timeless elements with a touch of freedom and innovation.
The church is marked by its use of classical orders such as Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns. Elaborate friezes and cornices embellish the structure.
It also houses an impressive two-manual organ built in 1881.
