BDU

BDU — stories beyond down under & elsewhere

BDU is built on trust, self-awareness, and shared curiosity.
You’ll know.

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A Brief History

BDU began in Melbourne in 2015, originally founded as Australia Taiwanese Community (MEL) by an Australian lawyer who had lived, travelled, and studied Mandarin in Taiwan.

The very first gathering was a small English–Mandarin language exchange — just three people, meeting with no expectations beyond conversation and curiosity.

In 2016, the community started its first regular event: a weekly board game night at Marche Boardgame Café in Melbourne. What began informally grew steadily, shaped by the people who showed up rather than by any fixed agenda.

By 2017, the community expanded to Taipei, marking the start of its Taiwan chapter. In 2018, regular monthly brunch meetups began in Taipei, continuing the same spirit of low-pressure, cross-cultural connection.

Over time, the community evolved beyond a single city or format. What remained constant was its focus on lived experience across Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand — and elsewhere.

Today, BDU carries that history forward — not as an expat group or an event list, but as an independent, non-commercial platform shaped by people who have lived between cultures, places, and stages of life.

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Community Guidelines

These guidelines exist to protect the tone and intent of BDU, not to police behaviour.

1. Commercial activity is not assumed.
BDU is not an advertising or promotion channel. Any sponsored content, partnerships, or collaborations—if introduced—will be explicitly initiated or approved by the organisers.

2. Real people only.
Profiles must represent an actual individual. Anonymous, placeholder, or impersonation accounts are not permitted.

3. Respect is assumed, not requested.
Harassment, hate speech, personal attacks, or repeated boundary-pushing will be removed without debate.

4. No ideology dumping.
This is not a platform for political preaching, culture-war arguments, or rage-posting.

5. No drama farming.
Posts built on outrage, screenshots for clout, or personal vendettas don’t belong here.

6. Quality over noise.
Thoughtful contributions are welcome. Low-effort content, spam, or repetitive posting may be removed to keep the space readable.

7. Moderation is curatorial.
Admins reserve the right to remove content or members that disrupt the tone or intent of BDU. Decisions are not open for public argument.