Sri Chinmoy’s 1976 Tour

Sri Chinmoy arrives in Perth, the capital of the state of Western Australia, late in the evening after a marathon series of connecting flights from New York. His journey includes a short stopover in San Francisco, then on to Honolulu and across the Pacific Ocean to Sydney, eventually arriving in Perth 2½ hours behind schedule.

Sri Chinmoy meets with world champion surfer Ian Cairns, who subsequently attended one of Sri Chinmoy’s public meditations, in Perth.

Sri Chinmoy meets with Aboriginal poet Jack Davis in Perth.

Sri Chinmoy is interviewed at ‘Flame-Waves’ restaurant in Perth by a reporter from the Daily News and the article appears in the final edition of the newspaper the same day.

Sri Chinmoy meets with the Anglican Dean of Perth, the Rev John Cornish, at St George’s Cathedral in Perth. Their meeting is covered by The West Australian and an article appears in the newspaper the next day. 

Sri Chinmoy delivers his first lecture in Australia, entitled ‘Aspiration’, that evening at St George’s Cathedral in Perth. It draws over 500 people and after seating space ran out, many seekers sat cross-legged on the floor.

Sri Chinmoy meets with the Lord Mayor of Perth, the Right Hon. Earnest Lee-Steere, who arranged a small reception at his chambers in Perth.

Sri Chinmoy meets with Mayor Charles Smith of Nedlands and plants a rose bush for world peace at the Nedlands Memorial Rose Gardens in Perth. After the ceremony, Mayor Smith invites Sri Chinmoy back to his council chambers for refreshments.

Sri Chinmoy holds a lunchtime meditation at the Seekers’ Centre in Perth. He gives a short talk and answers questions from the audience. Sri Chinmoy commented on the sincere and receptive group of seekers who were assembled there.

Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture, entitled ‘Philosophy, Spirituality and Yoga’, in Winthrop Hall at the University of Western Australia in Perth, where he also plays the esraj for the first time in concert. The event attracts around 700 people, the largest audience in Australia.

Sri Chinmoy spontaneously plays his first extemporaneous keyboard improvisation at Flame-Waves restaurant in Perth. It later becomes Side A of the LP album, ‘Improvisations’.

Sri Chinmoy visits Yanchep National Park, north of Perth. There, Sri Chinmoy sees Australian marsupials for the first time. He delights in seeing the kangaroos and blesses one of the oldest koalas in the park, 17-year-old ‘Nobby’.

Sri Chinmoy writes Bengali songs while seated beside the beautiful spring-fed lake, Loch McNess, at Yanchep National Park. When he arrives at the grassy slope beside the lake, he comments, “This is the sort of place I need in New York.”

Sri Chinmoy creates seven acrylic Jharna-Kala paintings in Perth, which he presents to the Perth Centre.

Sri Chinmoy departs Perth at 11 p.m. for a plane trip across the Australian continent to Sydney, capital of the state of New South Wales, on the east coast.

Sri Chinmoy arrives in Sydney at Kingsford Smith Airport in the early morning.

Sri Chinmoy holds a mid-day, public meditation at the University of Sydney.

Sri Chinmoy meets with his students at the hotel where he is staying and walks down to the park by the waters of Sydney Harbour.

Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture, entitled ‘Aspiration and Realisation’, at the Town Hall in Sydney. Some 400-500 people attend the meeting at which all his Australian disciples sang the ‘Invocation’ together for the first time.

Sri Chinmoy visits Taronga Zoo, Australia’s oldest zoo, on the northern side of Sydney Harbour.

Sri Chinmoy meets with Reverend Ted Noffs, who introduces him to the audience before his historic evening lecture, entitled ‘Peace’, at the Wayside Chapel in the heart of the Kings Cross area in Sydney.

Sri Chinmoy and his students visit Luna Park, a 1930s-style funfair and amusement park, at Milsons Point in Sydney. There, he enthusiastically participates on the rides and visits the sideshows.

Sri Chinmoy and his students go ten-pin bowling at Rushcutters Bay Bowl in Sydney.

Sri Chinmoy creates seven Jharna-Kala chalk sketches in Sydney, which he presents to the Sydney Centre.

Sri Chinmoy visits the home of the Australian film and TV actor-singer Barry Crocker and his wife Dene in Sydney’s forested northern suburbs for a picnic with his students.

Sri Chinmoy makes the first recording of his esraj music at Tin Pan Alley Music studios in Sydney. He was the first person to record an album there. The vinyl LP record, which also contains vocal tracks, is subsequently released as ‘Peace-Light-Delight’.

Sri Chinmoy takes an evening boat cruise on Sydney Harbour aboard the Captain Cook ferry and gives a talk on the ‘Golden Boat’, which is recorded by ABC Radio. The captain allows Sri Chinmoy to steer the ferry for a time.

Sri Chinmoy takes an early morning car journey to the nation’s capital Canberra to hold a meditation and deliver a lecture, entitled ‘The Eternal Seeker’, at the Australian National University.

Sri Chinmoy takes an early morning flight to Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria, before delivering a lunchtime lecture, entitled ‘The Reality Within’, in the Open Stage Theatre at the State College of Melbourne.

Sri Chinmoy creates seven Jharna-Kala pen drawings in Melbourne, which he presents to the Melbourne Centre.

Sri Chinmoy and his students take a coach ride to Healesville Sanctuary on the outskirts of Melbourne. It is on this journey that Sri Chinmoy first learns to play the Western flute. Read article…

Sri Chinmoy delivers a lecture, entitled ‘Simplicity, Sincerity, Purity and Divinity’, at the Melbourne Assembly Hall.

Sri Chinmoy meets with Ron Clarke, Australia’s great Olympic middle-distance runner and former holder of 17 world records. Sri Chinmoy also composes a song dedicated to him.

On his last morning in Melbourne, Sri Chinmoy and his students visit Olympic Park, which was the venue for the Olympic Games in 1956. Here Sri Chinmoy runs a few laps, jumps hurdles and uses the broad jump pit. He also visits the Beaurepaire Centre swimming pool adjacent to the stadium.

Sri Chinmoy holds a public meditation and delivers a lunchtime lecture, entitled ‘Happiness’, in the Robert Blackwood Memorial Hall at Monash University in Melbourne.

Sri Chinmoy departs Melbourne in the early afternoon by plane bound for Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia and the final city on his Australian tour. He arrives at Adelaide airport at 4:30 p.m.

Sri Chinmoy holds an evening meditation and delivers a lecture, entitled ‘Spirituality’, at Brougham Place Congregational Church in North Adelaide. Later, he visits the newly established Adelaide Centre.

A morning press conference is held at Sri Chinmoy’s hotel in Adelaide, where he sings ‘O My Australia’ and plays his esraj. Later that evening, it goes to air on the Channel 7 news — the first time his esraj playing had been broadcast on television anywhere in the world.

Sri Chinmoy meets with Bishop Phillip Kennedy, the Catholic Bishop of Adelaide.

Sri Chinmoy is driven to Government House, where he is the luncheon guest of the Governor of South Australia, Sir Mark Oliphant.

Sri Chinmoy visits Adelaide’s ABC TV studios in the afternoon to tape an interview for ‘This Day Tonight’ evening programme.

Sri Chinmoy delivers an evening lecture, entitled ‘Possession and Satisfaction’, in the Napier Lecture Theatre at the University of Adelaide. The lecture hall is full to capacity.

Sri Chinmoy creates four large acrylic Jharna-Kala paintings and seven pen sketches at the Adelaide Centre.

Sri Chinmoy concludes his first Australian tour, flying out of Adelaide in the early morning to Perth on the west coast for a connecting flight to Madras in India. From there, he goes on to Pondicherry for a short stay with his family before returning to New York.