About Us
The Buddhist Council of NSW is a peak organisation for Buddhism in New South Wales, supporting Buddhist temples and organisations and providing a Buddhist voice to government, other faiths and the broader community.
We are a member of the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils (FABC), which represents Buddhist organisations throughout Australia, and collaborate with the Australian Sangha Association, which represents ordained sangha (monks and nuns).
Our Vision
Our vision is of a world where the dharma – the Buddha’s teaching of compassion, generosity and non-harming – is a part of everyday life and contributes to the wellbeing of all. We work to support a flourishing Buddhist community, with strong and sustainable organisations that promote Buddhist values in their communities and in society as a whole.
Our main areas of work are:
- supporting Buddhist organisations
- making Buddhism available to the wider community
- offering chaplaincy and Buddhist education in schools
- working with government, interfaith and other community organisaitons
- providing a Buddhist voice on important issues.
Download a brochure about the Buddhist Council here.
History
In 1984, the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) called a meeting in Sydney to establish a regional branch. Local Buddhist organisations then came together to form the Buddhist Council of New South Wales, to promote co-operation across the Buddhist community.
The constitution was ratified at its inaugural Annual General Meeting in June 1985. The Buddhist Council was incorporated in March 1991 obtaining charitable tax status in 2005 and Deductible Gift Recipient status in 2007.
The late Graeme Lyall AO, founding Chairman, led the development of the Buddhist Council of New South Wales from its inception until his retirement from the board in December 2006. His contribution to the development of Buddhism in Australia stretches over half a century. He was succeeded by Brian White, who was Chair until 2018, and then Gawaine Powell Davies who served as Chair until 2023. The current Chair is Erica Hendrawan.
Over the years, our financial and affiliate membership has grown to over 100 Buddhist temples, retreat centres, and professional organisations. both in NSW and ACT.