Melbourne Liaison Office

The Melbourne Liaison Office was officially established on 13 June 1996. Its beginnings trace back to March of the same year, when Sister Chien‑Hui Weng from Taipei invited Sister Chao‑Feng Wu from Brisbane, Brother Mao‑Cheng Lin from Sydney, and Sister Ya‑Ying Chi to Melbourne to share Tzu Chi’s spirit and the vision of its Four Missions. This visit marked the first tea gathering in Melbourne. Later, with the introduction of Sister Angela Mary from Mater Hospital in Brisbane, volunteers were connected to Mercy Hospital, where the first volunteer service point was established. The Liaison Office was then formally announced, marking the start of what has now become a 30‑year journey.

Over the past three decades, Melbourne Tzu Chi volunteers have walked steadfastly and sincerely, bearing witness to history through their service. The early years saw regular volunteer service points at Mercy Hospital, Canterbury Centre, Glenallen Special School, Belmore Special School, Harcourt Nursing Home, Box Hill Hospital, and various Chinese aged‑care facilities. Services included administrative support, meal delivery, elderly companionship, assisting children with special needs, individual case support, and helping international students facing emergencies.

In 2020, the global COVID‑19 pandemic brought all volunteer service points to a halt. Although life gradually returned to normal in 2023, many service points were unable to resume due to regulatory changes. Yet, as Master Cheng Yen reminds us, “We stand under others’ sky and walk on others’ land.” With this humility, volunteers continued to serve wherever possible, never wavering in their commitment.

To nurture good character in the next generation, the Melbourne office has offered humanistic education programs since 2002, including Tzu Chi Children’s Class, Teens Class, and Tzu Ching (youth) activities, all guided by Jing Si Aphorisms. In response to environmental degradation and climate change, volunteers also promote vegetarianism, compassion for all beings, and environmental protection. Although some activities paused during the pandemic, the centre has since resumed its bi‑monthly “Vegetarian Wish Day” on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, while continuing to encourage tree planting, recycling, community clean‑ups, water conservation, fruit and vegetable distribution, and the Dharma as Water study group—nurturing both the earth and the human heart.

Since 2008, the “Jing Si Aphorism – Good Words Street” initiative has brought positive messages to shops throughout the Box Hill shopping district. Over the years, this project has gained recognition for its role in uplifting the community. In 2026, the office further introduced the “Bamboo Bank – Love Is Here” campaign, inviting local businesses to join in sustaining a cycle of kindness.

Melbourne, once known as one of the world’s most liveable cities, has faced increasing challenges from climate change and environmental instability. Bushfires occur almost every year, with the 2009 “Black Saturday” bushfires causing severe loss of life and property. Tzu Chi volunteers entered the disaster zones immediately, offering comfort, emergency financial aid, relief packs, eco‑blankets, and hot meals. Subsequent floods and fires after 2019 saw volunteers once again providing cleaning assistance, emotional support, and living subsidies.

Since 1997, the Tzu Ching youth have been a vibrant and essential force within the Melbourne community. They balance academic responsibilities while actively participating in street clean‑ups, tree planting, nursing home visits, beach clean‑ups during Clean Up Australia Day, regular blood donation, and supporting major Tzu Chi events. They also host “Spiritual Recharge Stations” for their peers and serve as role models for children and teens in the humanistic classes. In recent years, they have further contributed by promoting environmental awareness and vegetarianism in schools.

For thirty years, the Melbourne Liaison Office has walked alongside the community, continuing to serve with compassion, wisdom, and unwavering dedication to this land.