Underground Church

The Catacomb Church - Saint Peter & Paul’s Catholic Church

Useful Information

Location:	LOT 27 Hutchison St, Coober Peddy SA 5723. Coober Pedy, 850 km north of Adelaide and 680 km south of Alice Springs. Off main street on Halliday Pl. (-29.0122355, 134.7553016)
Open:	All year daily. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Cave Church
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	LOT 27 Hutchison St, Coober Peddy SA 5723, Tel: +61-8-8672-5011.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

25-JAN-1967	church built.
1984	extensions completed.

Description

Saint Peter & Paul is the first underground church in Coober Pedy. Today it as a Catholic Church, but originally it was used by all denominations of religion. When it was built, everyone was helping, a true pioneer manner. This underground church is cut out of the rock in the form of a cross: two passages crossing each other, which gives it a typical church-like shape.

The Jesuits were the first bush Priests in the Flinders Ranges. Local Diocesan Priests who cared for the outback flock followed. Father Cresp took up residence in Coober Pedy, a growing Opal mining town, late in 1965.