The Buddhist Discussion Centre (BDC) in Upwey, an outer Eastern suburb of Melbourne, is an Australian non-sectarian Buddhist centre that supports the study, practice, and preservation of the Buddha’s Teachings. The centre was founded by John D. Hughes (1930–2004) in 1978. The BDC became a Regional Centre of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in 1990, the first in Australia. It is a member of the Buddhist Council of Victoria, a founding member organisation of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria and is associated with the World Buddhist University in Thailand.¹ 

Through multiple means over many years, Hughes and the BDC have worked tirelessly to share Buddhist teachings in Australia and throughout the world. Its quarterly international Buddhist journal was circulated to more than 40 countries for around 15 years, at a time before the internet made Buddhist teachings widely accessible. Since 2006 the centre has run a weekly Buddhist Hour FM Radio program and an online radio station, World Buddhist Radio, that broadcasts Buddhist content 24 hours a day worldwide. The Buddhist Discussion Centre Australia Heritage Collection holds around 6,000 multilingual Buddhist titles, making it one of the largest Buddhist libraries in Australia. Its repository includes rare texts, the Buddhist canon, commentaries, books, journals, newsletters, audio and video collections, and Buddhist ritual objects.² 

The BDC conducts weekly, monthly and annual practice sessions and ceremonies, as well as workshops and courses. Its in-person and online sessions cater to both local and international students. The Chan Academy provides a place to learn Chan using ink, paper and brush.³ 

Over the years, the BDC has received recognition locally and internationally. Anita Carter, the current Spiritual Director and Abbot of the Centre, received an “Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award” conferred by the World Buddhist University in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2011. Frank Carter was recognised for his long-term contributions to Buddhism in Victoria with the Dharmachakra Award from the Buddhist Council of Victoria in 2025.⁴ 

By: Sioh Yang Tan and Ruth Fitzpatrick 

References: 

¹ “About us,” Buddhist Discussion Centre Australia, accessed September 2, 2026, https://bdcu.org.au/about-us/; Buddhist Discussion Centre Australia, Brochure, November 2019, https://www.bdcu.org.au/pdf/BRONov2019.pdf. 

² Frank Carter, email to authors, July 27, 2026. 

³ Buddhist Discussion Centre, Brooking Street Bulletin, issue 95 (January 2024), https://www.bdcu.org.au/bulletin/2024/bsbulletin_2024_Issue_95_January.pdf; “Chan Academy,” Buddhist Discussion Centre Australia, accessed September 2, 2026, https://bdcu.org.au/chan-academy/. 

⁴ “Teachers,” Buddhist Discussion Centre Australia, accessed September 2, 2026, https://bdcu.org.au/teachers/; Buddhist Council of Victoria, “Buddhist Council of Victoria Dharmachakra Awards 2025 -Advancing Education: Mr Frank Carter at Victorian United Nations Day of Vesak Inc. at Melbourne Town Hall from the President of the Buddhist Council of Victoria Mr Dinesh Iriyagolle Weerakkody,” Facebook, May 31, 2026, https://www.facebook.com/BuddhistCouncilofVictoria/posts/buddhist-council-of-victoria-dharmachakra-awards-2025-advancing-education-mr-fra/1428315882674279/.