On 22 September 2026, we launched the Buddhism in Australia project report, Digital Atlas and educational resources at Nan Tien Institute (NTI), marking the culmination of three years of collaborative research.
The event brought together the full research team for the first time, joined by NTI President Alistair Noble, Federal Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes MP, Project Advisory Committee member Bhante Sujato, Abbess Manko and Venerable Juefang representing the sponsor, Hsing Yun Education Foundation, and NTI Academic Dean Kiley Seymour. More than 100 participants joined online, including project interviewees from across Australia and representatives of national and state Buddhist organisations.
A highlight was the unveiling of the Digital Atlas of Buddhism in Australia, an interactive spatiotemporal map featuring over 80 entries on Buddhist centres, temples and communities nationwide. Drawing on fieldwork, interviews, videography, archival research and community consultation, the Atlas presents Australia’s Buddhist history and diversity through stories of people, places and practices. Its companion Learning Guide, aligned with the Australian Curriculum, offers reflective questions and suggested pathways for exploring history, geography, civics and citizenship.
In her address, Alison Byrnes MP emphasised the project’s relevance at a time when multiculturalism and social cohesion are increasingly important. She noted that Buddhist values of compassion, wisdom, mindfulness and inner peace resonate with Australia’s ideal of a “fair go”. Bhante Sujato expressed hope that the research would deepen Australian Buddhists’ understanding of their communities. He highlighted the collaboration between the Sangha and secular academics in the project as an example of the monastic-lay cooperation distinctive to Buddhism in Australia.
Representing the sponsor, Abbess Manko recalled Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s aspiration that Fo Guang Shan make a meaningful contribution to Australian society. She affirmed the project’s value as a foundation for further learning, collaboration and contributions to education, Buddhist communities and wider Australian society.