The Buddhist Society of New South Wales (BSNSW) was the centrifugal force of institutional Buddhism in NSW, from its formation in 1953 until the late 1970s. It’s monthly periodical Metta was the most widely read Buddhist publication in Australia during this period. The inspiration for the BSNSW came from eminent Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and teacher, Venerable Narada Thera, who Dutch-born Australian businessman Leo Berkeley first met with in Colombo. Leo and his wife Lummechien formed the BSNSW on his return to Sydney, in close collaboration with prominent lawyer, pacifist and naturalist Marie Byles.ⁱ  

Natasha Jackson succeeded Leo as editor of Metta in 1955, when she and Charles Knight took a more prominent role in the BSNSW.  The BSNSW had a Theravadan focus and hosted prominent visiting Buddhist teachers in the 1950s, including Australian Burmese Buddhist David Maurice/ U Ohn Ghine, Burmese Buddhist monk U Thutilla, and the Venerable Narada Thera. Knight and the BSNSW also played a role in inviting Sri Lankan Buddhist monk Venerable Somaloka, and Thai Buddhist monks – Phra Khantipalo and Phra Patyavaarti  –  to reside in Australia. This led to the formation of Buddhist temples, the Australian Buddhist Vihara in the Blue Mountains and Wat Buddharangsee in Sydney in the 1970s.ⁱⁱ 

By Ruth Fitzpatrick and Anna Halafoff  

ⁱ  Paul Croucher, Buddhism in Australia: 1848–1988 (New South Wales University Press, 1989); Graeme Lyall, History of Buddhism in NSW and Current Developments (World eBook Library, 1993) https://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-AN/an141568.pdf 

ⁱⁱ Croucher, Buddhism in Australia; Lyall, History of Buddhism in NSW.