Yeshe Khadro

Khadro was born in 1950 and grew up in rural Queensland.[1] Her birth name was Marie Obst.[2] She was raised Catholic.[3]

Khadro trained as a nurse at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane.[1] In 1972 she left Australia to travel across Asia.[3] She changed her name to Yeshe Khadro which means 'wisdom' and 'walking across the sky'.[3]

In 1973, Khadro was living in Nepal and training with the Dalai Lama. In 1974, she was ordained as a Buddhist nun by the Dalai Lama.[1] She returned to Australia and gifted the land she owned with her partner Nick and others to create a Buddhist commune. This is now known as Chenrezig Institute.[3] She returned to Nepal for two more years before moving back to Australia to run the centre.[3][4]

Khadro worked for the Karuna Hospice Service, Brisbane, and was appointed director in 1997.[1][5]

In 2011, Khadro was a key figure in organising the Dalai Lama's trip to Australia.[3]

In 2012, Khadro was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International "in appreciation of the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world".[6]