Buddhist Council of Victoria
The Buddhist Council of Victoria is one of five state-based Buddhist councils in Australia and part of the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils. It is a representative body that acts on behalf of Victorian Buddhists and actively engages in communicating the needs of Buddhists to government, providing speakers for interfaith dialogues, and working widely with the community.1
The idea of a council representing Victorian Buddhists began as early as 1985, led by Gabrielle Lafitte. Progress resumed in 1995 under the leadership of Brian Ashen and Robin Rankin, in response to the Victorian state government’s de-funding of community programs, which warranted a collective response from the various Buddhist groups affected by the decision. Sixteen temples came together for an inaugural planning meeting, with a constitution drawn up shortly after.2
Today, the council actively provides a history of Buddhism in Victoria, maintains a member’s directory, distributes resources for Buddhist education in schools, coordinates Buddhist chaplains for healthcare and prisons, and hosts the Dharmachakra Awards.3
By: Juewei Shi, Sioh Yang Tan
References:
1 Home,” Buddhist Council of Victoria, accessed August 7, 2026, https://bcv.org.au.
2 History of Buddhism in Victoria,” Buddhist Council of Victoria, accessed August 7, 2026, https://bcv.org.au/history-of-buddhism-in-victoria/; Brian Ashen, “Buddhist Life Stories of Australia | Brian Ashen,” conducted by Deakin University, interview, 2015, posted May 13, 2026, by Nan Tien Institute, YouTube, 42:52, https://youtu.be/5dWozEmxOCY?si=QJ_YnfoHul5kURun
3 History of Buddhism in Victoria,” Buddhist Council of Victoria, accessed August 7, 2026, https://bcv.org.au/history-of-buddhism-in-victoria/; “BCV member directory,” Buddhist Council of Victoria, accessed August 7, 2026, https://bcv.org.au/directory/l; “Buddhist religious instructions,” Buddhist Council of Victoria, accessed August 7, 2026, https://bcv.org.au/introduction/; “Discovering Buddha: Lessons for primary school,” Buddhist Council of Victoria, accessed August 7, 2026, https://bcv.org.au/lessons-for-primary-school/; “Healthcare chaplaincy,” Buddhist Council of Victoria, accessed August 7, 2026, https://bcv.org.au/healthcare-chaplaincy/; “Prison chaplaincy,” Buddhist Council of Victoria, accessed August 7, 2026, https://bcv.org.au/prison-chaplaincy/; “Dharmachakra awards,” Buddhist Council of Victoria, accessed August 7, 2026, https://bcv.org.au/dharmachakra_awards/.