In early November 2025, the Buddhism in Australia research project team commenced its fifth round of fieldwork. Anna Halafoff, Sue Smith, and videographer Filip Milovac travelled across Western Australia and Christmas Island to document the diversity of Buddhist communities.
At Khamsum Zilnon Drukpai Lhakhang, the team interviewed Venerable Tshering Wangchuk about the establishment and growth of the Bhutanese Buddhist community.
At the Dhammaloka Centre in Nollamara, home of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, they spoke with long-term volunteers Boon Tan and Sandra Henville. They also met Jeffrey Tan, founder of the Christmas Island Mahayana Buddhist Society (CIMBS), whose involvement with the island’s Buddhist community dates back to the 1980s. At Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple of Western Australia, interviews with Venerable Chokyi, representing the Australian Sangha Association, and Natasha Tang, representing the Buddhist Council of Western Australia, explored cooperation across Buddhist traditions in Australia.
The team then flew to Christmas Island, where they documented the history of the Christmas Island Mahayana Buddhist Society and interviewed community leaders and long-term residents about migration, temple building, and religious life. Guided by cultural heritage consultant Helene Bartleson, they also visited nearly ten Buddhist and Taoist temples established by early Chinese settlers. Many continue to be maintained by local volunteers.
Anna Halafoff noted the challenges of preserving heritage buildings and artefacts in the island’s tropical environment and highlighted the importance of continued government support for conservation.
Returning to Perth on 4 November, the team met Tholla Chan from the Cambodian Buddhist community and continued filming Buddhist temples and centres from a range of traditions.
