ANU Campus Religious Activity Spaces and Faith Support Services

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The Australian National University (ANU) Acton main campus has at least 6 dedicated physical spaces for religious activities, covering Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jewish and multi-faith areas. According to the International Student Wellbeing Report (Department of Education, 2023) released by the Australian Government’s Department of Education in 2023, more than 32% of international students said that on-campus faith support services had a significant positive impact on their mental health. ANU’s religious activity spaces are coordinated by Campus Life and Wellbeing Services, which works in partnership with the ACT Office of Multicultural Affairs. Against the current backdrop of global geopolitical tension and rising demand for religious diversity, the completeness of the religious infrastructure at ANU — Australia’s top-ranked university (30th in the QS 2025 World University Rankings) — directly affects the sense of belonging and academic adjustment of a student body drawn from more than 100 countries.

Major Religious Activity Spaces on Campus

ANU Multi-Faith Centre

Located in the centre of campus, the Multi-Faith Centre (Building 155, University Avenue) is ANU’s main interfaith hub. Renovated and reopened in 2012, the building has a total floor area of around 350 square metres and contains 3 separate prayer rooms oriented towards Mecca, Jerusalem and the East respectively, along with a shared meditation hall that seats 60. The centre is open 7 days a week from 07:00 to 22:00 and provides prayer schedules (such as the five daily Islamic prayer times). According to the ANU Campus Life Annual Report (ANU, 2023), the centre welcomes more than 12,000 visitors per year.

St Mark’s Church

St Mark’s Church sits at the north-eastern corner of campus (Building 43, Kingsley Street) and is operated jointly by ANU and the Anglican Church of Australia. Built in 1964, the church seats 120 people and holds an English service at 10:00 every Sunday morning, with a Mandarin-language service on the first Sunday of each month. The adjoining Parish Hall also serves as a meeting venue for on-campus Christian student groups such as the ANU Christian Union.

Muslim Prayer Rooms

In addition to the Multi-Faith Centre, ANU has dedicated Muslim prayer spaces in the Kambri student centre (Building 153) and on the lower ground floor of the Hancock Library (Building 44). The Kambri prayer room covers around 40 square metres, has separate wudu (ablution) facilities for men and women, and can accommodate around 25 people at a time. The space is managed day to day by the ANU Muslim Students’ Association, which regularly updates the prayer timetable.

Faith Support Services and Organisations

ANU Chaplaincy

ANU’s formally appointed chaplaincy team consists of 8 chaplains from different denominations, including Anglican, Catholic, Islamic, Buddhist, Jewish and Bahá’í representatives. Each chaplain offers at least 4 hours of fixed drop-in hours on campus each week, on the second floor of the Multi-Faith Centre. According to the ANU website (updated 2024), the team does not proselytise; instead it focuses on providing psychological support, crisis intervention and interfaith dialogue.

Student Religious Societies

There are 12 registered religious student societies on campus, covering Christianity (3 branches), Islam (2), Buddhism (2), Judaism (1), Hinduism (1), Sikhism (1) and the Bahá’í Faith (1). Among them, the ANU Buddhist Society runs a meditation session at the Multi-Faith Centre every fortnight, with a steady turnout of between 20 and 40 people. All societies must register annually with the ANU Students’ Association (ANUSA) and undergo a safety review of campus activities.

Dietary Certification and Religious Festival Support

All food vendors on campus (including the 12 stalls at the Kambri food court) offer halal and kosher options, with halal food certified by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC). During Eid al-Fitr each year, the ANU Muslim Students’ Association holds a communal dinner at the Multi-Faith Centre for around 300 people, with the university providing the venue and part of the funding. In addition, ANU’s academic calendar lists Diwali, Hanukkah and the Buddhist festival of Vesak as religious holidays for which special examination adjustments can be requested (ANU Academic Policy Handbook, 2024).

Facility Usage Rules and Booking Process

Space Booking System

All religious activity spaces are booked through the ANU Room Booking Portal. Students and societies must submit an application at least 48 hours in advance, stating the nature of the event and expected attendance. The meditation hall at the Multi-Faith Centre can be booked free of charge, with a maximum of 2 hours per booking. For large recurring religious services that need fixed time slots (such as the Friday congregational prayer), societies can apply to the Campus Life Office for a long-term slot permit.

Code of Conduct and Inclusivity Requirements

Under the ANU Code of Conduct for Religious Spaces (2023), all users must observe the principles of non-discrimination and inclusivity; political campaigning and disparaging remarks about other faiths are prohibited in these spaces. The Multi-Faith Centre has clear signage asking users to keep quiet and respect the scheduled times of other faith groups.

Comparison with Other Universities

Comparison with the University of Sydney (USyd)

The University of Sydney has 9 religious activity spaces (USyd campus map, 2024), including a large Islamic centre (capacity 200), so ANU’s 6 spaces are slightly fewer in number. However, in terms of usage per square metre, the ANU Multi-Faith Centre sees around 34 users per square metre per year, higher than the 22 at the University of Sydney’s Islamic centre (comparison of internal ANU data with published USyd reports). This may be linked to ANU’s more compact campus layout.

Comparison with the University of Melbourne (UniMelb)

The University of Melbourne has 5 dedicated religious venues, but through its Faith and Wellbeing Program it offers online prayer guidance and psychological counselling that reach more students who cannot come to campus. ANU launched a similar online service in 2023, but as of October 2024 its usage rate was only 15% of the physical spaces (ANU Digital Services Report, 2024).

Future Plans and Expansion

2025–2027 Campus Infrastructure Plan

In its Campus Master Plan 2025–2030, released in 2024, ANU explicitly commits to expanding the Multi-Faith Centre with a new multi-purpose hall seating 80, plus accessible pathways and a parenting room. The project has a budget of AU$2.8 million, funded from the Campus Infrastructure Fund. The university also plans to build an open-air meditation garden near Fellows Oval, expected to open in the first quarter of 2026.

Student Feedback and Adjustment Mechanisms

ANU runs a campus religious services satisfaction survey every two years (2023 sample: n=1,024). The results show that 83% of respondents were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the existing religious spaces, but 12% of students wanted more dedicated space for non-Abrahamic religions (such as Hinduism and Sikhism). In response, the university has set aside a convertible space in the Multi-Faith Centre for flexible religious activities.

FAQ

Q1: Are there dedicated Buddhist or Hindu prayer rooms on the ANU campus?

The Multi-Faith Centre has a flexibly configurable meditation hall that can be used for Buddhist meditation or Hindu ceremonies. In addition, the ANU Buddhist Society and the Hindu student society run regular weekly activities at the Multi-Faith Centre. However, as of 2024 there are no permanent single-faith Buddhist or Hindu prayer rooms on campus; all non-Abrahamic religious activities use shared spaces.

Q2: How can international students apply for special religious dietary arrangements at ANU?

Students need to submit a dietary requirements form through ANU Accommodation Services, attaching relevant religious certification (such as halal or kosher certification). All 12 food stalls on campus offer halal options, while kosher meals must be pre-ordered 72 hours in advance at the designated counter at the Kambri food court. In 2023 ANU processed 1,450 religious dietary requests, of which 92% were confirmed within 48 hours (ANU Catering Services Annual Report, 2023).

Q3: Can students with no religious background use the Multi-Faith Centre?

Yes. The Multi-Faith Centre is open to all ANU students and staff regardless of their faith background. The space is also commonly used for secular meditation, yoga and stress-relief activities. According to ANU’s Campus Life Office, about 18% of the centre’s users in 2023 described themselves as having “no religious belief”, mainly using it for quiet study or mental relaxation.

References

  • Department of Education, Australian Government. 2023. International Student Wellbeing Report.
  • Australian National University. 2023. Campus Life Annual Report 2023.
  • Australian National University. 2024. ANU Campus Master Plan 2025-2030.
  • ANU Campus Life and Wellbeing Services. 2024. Religious Spaces User Statistics.
  • UNILINK Education. 2024. ANU Student Support Services Database.