Cambodian Buddhist Society of Western Australia and Wat Dhammayanaram Forest Monastery

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Cambodian Buddhist Society of Western Australia and Wat Dhammayanaram Forest Monastery

Buddhist centres Cambodian Buddhism Theravada Buddhism

The Cambodian Buddhist Society of Western Australia (CBSWA) was formerly registered as a charity in 2002.  It was initially formed as a Buddhist-based support network in the 1980s for Cambodian Australian refugees, recovering from the traumatic impacts of the Khmer Rouge. Over the years it grew, expanding to offer free meditation and other services to local Australians, Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike.1  

In 2007, in the picturesque Kelmscott foothills, the Cambodian Buddhist Society founded the Wat Dhammayanaram Forest Monastery. 2 Cambodian-born Buddhist community leader Tholla Chan has been central to the development of both. Chan arrived in Australia from New Zealand in 1988, where she had first been offered sanctuary in 1974. In 1991 she became the President of the CBSWA and invited a Cambodian monk from New Zealand to Perth. He encouraged her to establish a Cambodian Buddhist monastery in Perth. 

Daily dana (alms rounds), a seniors group, and free meditation sessions are key services provided at Wat Dhammayanaram.3 Monks are central to the activities offered at the Wat; and rather than a single abbot, monks work as a community to deliver services. As Chan describes, the temple is a place of healing, and people are drawn to the monks and its community to experience peace. The monastery actively engages with diverse Buddhist communities and the Buddhist Society of Western Australia (BSWA), with Ajahn Brahm serving as its Honorary Spiritual Director. 

By: Ruth Fitzpatrick, Anna Halafoff 

Buddha statues, Cambodian Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Kelmscott. (Image: Filip Milovac) Buddha's altar, Cambodian Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Kelmscott. (Image: Filip Milovac) Buddha's altar, Cambodian Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Kelmscott. (Image: Filip Milovac) Monks' area signboard, Cambodian Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Kelmscott. (Image: Filip Milovac)

References: 

1 ‘Cambodian Buddhist Society of WA Inc.’ Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission, accessed June 15, 2026, https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/babb0d57-39af-e811-a963-000d3ad244fd/profile. 

2 Tholla Chan Interview; Mel Dee, “Kelmscott monastery helps locals find inner peace,” Your Local Examiner, February 13, 2025, https://www.yourlocalexaminer.com.au/kelmscott-monastery-helps-locals-find-inner-peace/. 

3 “Home”, Cambodian Buddhist Society of Western Australia, accessed June 15, 2026, https://thecbswa.org/. 

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