Wat Khemarangsaram

Since Buddhism plays a key role in the life of Khmer people, soon after arriving in Australia their first task was to build a place of worship. It was a statement for a community that wanted to keep - against adversity - its faith and traditions alive. In the mid 1980s, the first Khmer Buddhist monk, the Venerable Long Sakkhon, arrived to take up residence in Sydney.

This two storey white temple follows traditional Khmer Buddhist architectural design. On entering the temple, a large bronzed image of Buddha is the first image you can see. It has been placed on top of a central altar - surrounded by smaller images, flowers and candles.

The temple's interior is decorated with pictures and tasteful paintings of the Buddha, monks and nuns. They are pictorial representations of the different stages of Buddhist conversion, painted by an artist from Cambodia. The temple can be visited between 7am to 6pm. It is advisable to ring before.