Serbian Orthodox Church

The Saint Elijah the Prophet Serbian Orthodox Church (Srpska pravoslavna crkva Svetog Ilije Proroka) is one of two underground churches in Coober Pedy and the more dramatic of the pair. Carved into the side of a hill on the eastern edge of town, it is reached through a small above-ground vestibule. The nave is entirely subterranean: rock-cut columns and arches, a carved rock-relief iconostasis, and intricate stained glass set into the roof.

Visitors are welcome outside services. There is a donation box; modest dress is expected. The church is best in mid-afternoon when light filters through the stained-glass into the cool dark interior.

things to do sight church
A story
The Coober Pedy opal fields were worked by miners from dozens of countries; the post-war Serbian community was big enough to fund this church, hewn out of the sandstone over four years in the 1990s. The icon screen, rock-cut pillars, and stained-glass windows above ground combine into something unique among Australian places of worship.