Buddha said:I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of dust motes.

Ashoka Pillar installed in Australia.

Courtesy: An extract from Deccan Herald.

Believed to be the first in Australia, the Ashoka Pillar has been installed at the Sunnataram Forest Monastery in the verdant surroundings of Southern Highlands. The Ashoka Pillar has been hand-carved by artists in Thailand and the sandstone supporting base has been constructed by monks and volunteers of the monastery.
It has been hailed as historic. A five-metre-high Ashoka Pillar now stands at a monastery located midway between Sydney and Canberra, in a celebration of the spread of Buddhism from India to Australia.
Believed to be the first in Australia, the Ashoka Pillar has been installed at the Sunnataram Forest Monastery in the verdant surroundings of Southern Highlands.
"This is a truly historic event. The Ashoka Pillar, whose Lion Capitol is the national emblem of India, symbolises the global relevance of the principles of truth, non-violence, tolerance and compassion," Sujan R. Chinoy, consul general of India in Sydney, told IANS.

"Emperor Ashoka fostered democratic rule and it is a privilege to dedicate the Ashoka Pillar at a Buddhist monastery in a fellow democracy such as Australia."

"This is to express our gratitude to Emperor Ashoka for his foresight in preserving and spreading the teachings of the Buddha to different parts of the world. It has made it possible for us to practise the teachings of the Buddha in Australia today," says Kim McSweeney, secretary of the monastery.