ਬ੍ਰਿਸਬੇਨ ਸਿੱਖ ਮੰਦਰ, ਏਟ ਮਾਈਲ ਪਲੇਨਜ਼ਬ੍ਰਿਸਬੇਨ ਸਿੱਖ ਮੰਦਰ, ਏਟ ਮਾਈਲ ਪਲੇਨਜ਼

The Brisbane Sikh Temple at Eight Mile Plains, also called Gurdwara Sahib Brisbane, is the first gurdwara in South East Queensland and an entry in our guide to ਆਸਟਰੇਲੀਆ ਦੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ. It stands at 2679 Logan Road, where a congregation that began with families gathering in rented halls in 1981 built itself a permanent home in 1988, and it remains the region's primary Sikh place of worship.

What is the Brisbane Sikh Temple?

It is a gurdwara, the Sikh place of worship, whose name means the doorway to the Guru. Its Darbar Sahib, the prayer hall, centres on the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Sikh scripture honoured as the eternal Guru, which is in Parkash, ceremonially opened, every day. The gurdwara states its mission plainly: to uphold the Sikh Rehat Maryada, the Sikh code of conduct, and the hukamnamas of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. It is open seven days a week to everyone, and it serves as a communication hub and gathering point for Sikhs across South East Queensland.

How did Brisbane's Sikh congregation begin?

Sikhs have lived in Brisbane for well over fifty years, but regular religious congregations were only organised from 1981, when Sikh families began gathering at the Camp Hill School of Arts. From 1982 a monthly congregation was held in a rented hall of the Blind Welfare Association in Woolloongabba, on the second Sunday of every month.

Those monthly diwans ran on what families carried in themselves. Langar was brought from home, and Karah Parshad was prepared at the venue. After the Parkash of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Japji Sahib was recited, Ardas was offered, and the sangat was served langar. In 1987 the Brisbane Sikh Temple (Gurdwara) Inc. was established, the first Sikh institution in South East Queensland, and the search for a permanent home began in earnest.

Building a permanent home on Logan Road

The process to buy land for the Gurdwara Sahib began in 1988. Land was purchased on Logan Road at Eight Mile Plains, and the foundation stone was laid by the Panj Pyare, the Five Beloved Ones, on Vaisakhi day. In December 1988 the sangat moved into the fully constructed gurdwara at 2679 Logan Road, where it remains today. The original Logan Road building, photographed by the temple with the Panj Pyare in front of it, is still the picture the congregation uses to tell its own story.

A growing Queensland community

For its first two decades the temple served a small community, but much has changed since 1988, with many more families arriving in Brisbane from 2008 onwards. That year the congregation marked 300 years of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the eternal Guru with a Nagar Kirtan, a singing procession, through the Brisbane central business district. Today the gurdwara also runs Punjabi and Gurmat classes and community initiatives alongside its religious programs, aiming, in its own words, to be a strong foundation for future generations, so that the values and knowledge of the Sikh faith are passed down. Queensland counted 27,713 Sikhs in the 2021 census, the third largest Sikh population of any Australian state.

Daily worship and langar

The day begins with Nitnem, the morning prayers, from 6:00 to 7:30. In the evening Rehras Sahib is read from 6:00 to 6:30, followed by Naam Simran from 6:30 to 8:00 and Ardas with the Hukamnama at 8:00. On Sunday the diwan opens with Asa di Vaar at 9:00 and the Kirtan Darbar runs to 1:30. Special programs for Gurpurabs and Vaisakhi are announced through the year, and families can book an Akhand Path or a Sukhmani Sahib path. Langar is prepared and served by sewadars, volunteers from the sangat: sitting together in pangat, in rows on the floor, regardless of background, is at the heart of the practice.

How do you visit the Brisbane Sikh Temple?

You visit at 2679 Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113. On site parking is available, and buses stop on Logan Road, a short walk from the Eight Mile Plains busway station. School groups, neighbours and first time visitors are welcome. Cover your head, with scarves available at the entrance, leave your shoes in the shoe room and wash your hands, and sit on the floor of the Darbar Sahib, where chairs are available if needed. Tobacco, alcohol and other intoxicants are not permitted on the grounds. Stay for langar after the program. For Sikhs travelling in Queensland, our guide also covers the temples of ਸਿਡਨੀ and the first gurdwara in Australia at ਵੂਲਗੂਲਗਾ.