Temple Board, Tingha

Temple board, Tingha

Temple board, Tingha

Image Courtesy of: McCrossins Mill Museum

神霄顯赫南天

“The glorious Divine Firmament of the Southern Heavens.”

Australian Context

In temples at Ballarat, Bendigo, and Cairns, inscriptions survive that honour 雷神 (Thunder God) and invoke protection.

Plaques like this one would have been placed either above an altar, or at the temple entrance, declaring divine jurisdiction over the site.

The wording “南天” shows that the builders were re-imagining their new land (Australia) as within the cosmic protection of the gods.