Sri Selva Vinayakar Temple
South Maclean, Brisbane, Australia
Also known as: Brisbane Selva Vinayakar Kovil
- Deities
- Ganesha (Vinayakar), Shiva, Abirami (Parvati), Maha Vishnu, Murugan
- Traditions
- shaiva, vaishnava
- Worship status
- active
- Address
- 4915-4923 Mt Lindesay Highway, South Maclean, QLD 4280, on a 4.5-acre elevated site roughly 35 km south of the Brisbane CBD.
- Coordinates
- -27.8023, 153.024
- Darshan hours
- Varies by season and festival calendar; consult the temple's own management for the current daily schedule before visiting.
- Best time to visit
- Year-round; Ganesh Chaturthi is the temple's principal annual festival, and the 5 February consecration anniversary is also observed.
- How to reach
- At 4915-4923 Mt Lindesay Highway in the South Maclean suburb of greater Brisbane, roughly 35 km south of the CBD, reachable by car.
- Festivals
- Ganesh Chaturthi (August/September), Consecration (Kumbabishekam) anniversary (5 February)
Location
Open in Google MapsFounded as Tamil migration to Queensland accelerated after 1983, this temple began as monthly congregational prayers held by Hindu families, first at home gatherings and then at SWARA Hall in Spring Hill, Brisbane. A Convening Committee formed on 25 April 1986 and registered as the Hindu Alaya Sangam, electing its first Management Committee that October. After several years of fundraising (1987-1990), the Sangam purchased a 4.5-acre elevated site at South Maclean, roughly 35 km south of the Brisbane CBD, in 1990. Building permission followed in May 1992, a foundation stone was laid on 10 June 1993, shrine construction began in June 1994, and the temple held its first consecration (Kumbabishekam) ceremony on 5 February 1995.
Twenty years later, the temple was rebuilt and expanded, reopening with a fresh consecration ceremony on 1 May 2015. Built in South Indian temple style, the central shrine honors Vinayakar (Ganesha) as the presiding deity, known here as “Selva Vinayakar” — a wealth-granting aspect of the god — alongside subsidiary shrines to Shiva, Abirami (Parvati), Maha Vishnu, Murugan, Navagraha, Vairavar, Chandeswarar, the Nalvar Shaiva saints, and Sri Ramakrishna. Beyond regular worship, the temple functions as a cultural and educational hub for Brisbane’s Tamil Hindu community, offering religious classes, music, and dance programs.
Sources
- historical record: Cross-checked against the temple's own official site (sriselvavinayakar.org/history.htm — reachable only via a text-proxy this pass since the site's SSL certificate has expired), which confirms: Tamil migration to Queensland accelerated after 1983, when Hindu families began monthly congregational prayers at SWARA Hall, Spring Hill; a Convening Committee formed on 25 April 1986 and officially registered as 'Hindu Alaya Sangam'; the South Maclean property was purchased in 1990 after fundraising from 1987-1990; foundation-laying occurred 10 June 1993; shrine construction began 24 June 1994; the first consecration (Kumbabishekam) was held on 5 February 1995; and the temple was rebuilt and re-consecrated on 1 May 2015. Confirms the address as 4915-4923 Mt Lindesay Highway, South Maclean, QLD 4280, on 4.5 acres. Confirms deities as Vinayakar (primary), Shiva, Abirami (Parvathi), Maha Vishnu, Murugan, Navagraha, Vairavar, Chandeswarar, the Nalvar saints, and Sri Ramakrishna.
- historical record: Cross-checked against Wikipedia's 'Hinduism in Australia' article, which independently corroborates the temple's name and 5 February 1995 consecration date. Note: on closer inspection this pass, that Wikipedia article's own citation for the fact is the temple's own website (sriselvavinayakar.org/history.htm) — the same primary source already used above — so it does not constitute a fully independent second source, even though it is a separate act of editorial verification by Wikipedia's editors.
- historical record: Re-attempted this pass to reach sriselvavinayakar.org directly; its TLS certificate is still expired ('certificate has expired'), so the primary source remains unreachable by standard means. Coordinates added via OpenStreetMap/Nominatim geocoding of Mount Lindesay Highway, South Maclean QLD 4280 (approximately -27.8023, 153.0240); street-level, not building-exact, since the specific 4915-4923 address range was not individually returned.
For review
- Sourced primarily from the temple's own official site, whose TLS/SSL certificate is still expired as of this pass (re-confirmed by a direct re-attempt) so it remains reachable only via a text-rendering proxy. Wikipedia's 'Hinduism in Australia' article independently states the same name and 5 February 1995 consecration date, but on closer inspection this pass its own citation for that fact traces back to the same temple website, so it is not a fully independent corroboration. Exact current festival calendar and priest/trust leadership names remain unconfirmed. Coordinates and address are now street-level via OpenStreetMap, not building-exact.