The Dhargyey Buddhist Centre was founded in Dunedin 1984 as a Buddhist teaching centre for the Venerable Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, one of the most highly qualified Gelug lamas of his time. Gelug refers to the same lineage of Tibetan Buddhism as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Geshe Dhargyey gave it the Tibetan name Thuptän Shädrub Dhargyey Ling, which can be translated as The Dhargyey Centre for Buddhist Learning and Practice. After Geshe Dhargyey passed away in 1995, the guidance of the Centre passed to two of his highly esteemed students - Venerable Thupten Rinpoche and Venerable Lhagon Rinpoche - both of whom were with Geshe Dhargyey when they fled Tibet in 1959. They came from the same small monastery in Kham, East Tibet. Sadly Venerable Thupten Rinpoche passed away in 2011. Venerable Lhagön Rinpoche is now the Spiritual Head to all Dhargyey Centres in New Zealand. He oversees and advises on programmes and the development of the Centre in Dunedin too. Many important lineage teachers of the Tibetan Buddhist Gelugpa tradition have visited and taught at the Centre, including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in 1992 and 2013.

The Buddhist Centre is located in a historic mansion near the centre of Dunedin which has views to the city, hills and sea. The house has a large meditation room, a library, and it is the residence of the Lamas (teachers). It provides Buddhist teachings to everyone who is interested - free of charge. All are welcome! A stupa in commemoration of Geshe Dhargyey has been built on the spot where his cremation ceremony took place. It overlooks Portobello and the harbour heads on the Otago Peninsula, and is about 30 minutes by car from the Centre.