Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia is home to a variety of cults, from the infamous 'The Family', led by Anne Hamilton-Byrne, to smaller groups such as the water people in northern NSW and the Greek Pentecostal church in Brisbane. The exact number of people involved in cults in Australia is unclear, as many cults are secretive and not all groups considered cults have the same level of control over their members. However, some sources estimate that certain cults in Australia have thousands of followers. For example, the fundamentalist sect known as The Two by Twos is estimated to have about 8,000 followers across the country. Other notable cults in Australia include the Grace Road Church, the Unification Church, and the Church of Scientology.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the cult | The Family |
| Founder | Anne Hamilton Byrne |
| Number of followers | Hundreds |
| Other cults in Australia | Jehovah's Witnesses, 7th Day Adventists, Mormons, Christadelphians, The Water People, HillSong, Scientology |
| Number of followers in other cults | 8,000 (The Two by Twos, The Church With No Name, The Truth and The Way) |
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What You'll Learn
'The Family' cult: Anne Hamilton-Byrne tortured 22 children
Anne Hamilton-Byrne, the founder and leader of the Australian doomsday cult "The Family", died in 2019 at the age of 98. She led the cult with her husband, Bill Hamilton-Byrne, from 1963 to 1987. The group was hidden away in the countryside outside Melbourne and operated in almost total secrecy for over two decades.
Hamilton-Byrne was one of the few female cult leaders in history and has been described as cruel and charismatic. She lured victims with her charm and good looks, convincing them that she was Jesus Christ reincarnated as a woman. She was known for her blonde hair and grey-blue eyes, which one former follower claimed had a hypnotic effect. She also wore pearls and Chanel perfume, played the harp, and sang soprano.
The children in the cult, 28 in total, were acquired through bogus adoptions and "gifts" from followers. They were dressed identically, with bleached blonde hair, and were subjected to vicious beatings, starvation, and emotional torture. They were also given large doses of LSD and raised on a strict vegetarian diet with lots of yoga and exercise. They were told that they would take over the world when it collapsed, which Hamilton-Byrne claimed was imminent.
The cult was eventually raided by police in 1987, acting on information from two child escapees. Hamilton-Byrne was arrested in the US with the help of the FBI in 1993 but was only prosecuted for minor fraud offences in Australia. She was never charged with abuse and suffered from dementia in her later years. Despite this, her actions had a lasting impact on her victims, leaving them with long-term emotional trauma and psychological scars.
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Jehovah's Witnesses: Some consider them a cult
Jehovah's Witnesses is a religious group with around 8 to 9 million members across 240 countries worldwide. The group was established by Pastor Charles Taze Russell in Pittsburgh in 1872 as a group of Bible students. Russell and his followers believed in a "Golden Age" or a "millennium", a thousand-year period of peace on Earth. This would be a time when the Earth would be transformed to its original purity, with a "righteous" social system that would not have poverty or inequality.
Jehovah's Witnesses are often denigrated as a cult and have faced persecution, censure, imprisonment, and even death across the world. In popular culture, they are sometimes portrayed as members of a cult, which has made them a target for violence. For example, in 2023, several members were killed in a shooting in Germany, and in the 1960s and 1970s, dozens of African Jehovah's Witnesses were slaughtered by members of The Youth League of the Malawi Congress Party.
The term "cult" is often considered vague and prejudicial by academics, especially when combined with allegations of "brainwashing". However, some scholars of new religions use the term "cult" to describe groups with high levels of commitment and distinctive structures of belief. Critics of Jehovah's Witnesses accuse the organization of having an almost totalitarian internal culture. Jehovah's Witnesses practice "disfellowshipping", or the expulsion and shunning of members for various offenses, which has been described as cruel and abusive. They also prohibit blood transfusions, which provokes anger and dismay among ex-members and outside observers. Additionally, Jehovah's Witness branches in Australia have been investigated and found to have concealed child abuse.
However, Jehovah's Witnesses themselves deny that they are a cult, stating that they are Christians who follow the example set by Jesus Christ and live by his teachings. They argue that they have not invented a new religion but pattern their worship after that of the first-century Christians recorded in the Bible. They also state that they do not have a human leader but adhere to Jesus as their leader, as stated in Matthew 23:10. Furthermore, they believe that their religion benefits themselves and others in the community, as they help people overcome addictions, conduct literacy classes, and provide disaster relief.
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Mormons: Villages on the Sunshine Coast
Although I cannot find specific information on the number of people in Australia who are part of cults, there are several cults that are known to operate in the country. One of the most well-known is "The Family", led by Anne Hamilton-Byrne, which was active from the 1960s until the 1980s and is renowned as Australia's biggest cult. Hamilton-Byrne tortured at least 22 children, adopted children from their birth parents through scams, and believed herself to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.
There are also several other cults operating in Australia, including the "Water People" in New South Wales, the "Good News International Church", and the "Grace Road Church". The "Water People" are said to have a cafe in Murwillumbah and some sort of large campus or commune on the outskirts of town. The leader of the Good News International Church, Paul Mackenzie, ordered his followers to starve themselves and their children to death. The Grace Road Church has been accused of detaining hundreds of followers and subjecting some to ritualistic violence.
In addition to these groups, there are also several religious groups in Australia that some might consider cults, including the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, and HillSong. There are Mormon villages on the Sunshine Coast, and the religion has been practised in Australia for almost as long as it has in the United States, dating back to at least 1838 when one man immigrated to the country. While some may not consider the Mormons a cult, others argue that fundamentalist Mormon churches, in particular, display cult-like behaviour.
Overall, while the exact number of people involved in cults in Australia is unclear, the presence of several active cults and cult-like religious groups in the country suggests that a notable number of Australians are involved in such organisations.
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The Water People: Large campus/commune in Murwillumbah
The Water People are a cult based in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Australia. They have a presence in the town of Murwillumbah, where they operate a cafe that serves deep-fried eggs with a spicy sauce, as well as a large campus or commune on the outskirts of the town. They also own a business called Hermes Far East Shinning, where they sell "wands" of magical water with various purported abilities.
The Water People have been described as a "horrible cult" and have been investigated multiple times. However, it seems that no serious legal action has been taken against them, possibly due to the challenge of gathering valid evidence against secretive cults and the current legal status of cults in Australia.
The Water People's campus in Murwillumbah is likely a significant site for the group, serving as a base for their activities and accommodating a sizable number of members. While the exact number of members in The Water People is unknown, their presence in multiple locations and ability to run businesses suggest a level of organization and resources.
Murwillumbah, located in the Tweed Valley, is a town in New South Wales, Australia, approximately 30 kilometers south of the Queensland border. The town is surrounded by high ranges on three sides, with the slopes descending to the sea on the eastern side. It is known for its natural beauty, with Mount Warning, or Wollumbin to the Bundjalung people, serving as a prominent landmark.
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Grace Road Church: Allegations of detaining followers and ritualistic violence
The Grace Road Church is a South Korean quasi-Christian new religious movement and cult, although its members refer to it as a church. It was founded in 2002 by Pastor Shin Ok-ju, who believed that Jesus Christ would only return to an Earth where "God is God." Shin also believed that a famine would devastate the Korean peninsula, so the church moved to Fiji in 2014, where they grew vegetables and rice to build their supposed utopia.
However, life for the church's members in Fiji was far from ideal. The church has been accused of detaining its followers and subjecting them to violence and forced labour. In 2018, footage emerged of Pastor Shin Ok-ju beating her followers. Former members claimed that these ritual beatings were common and took place on "threshing floors." The church did not deny the beatings, but claimed that they were simply recreating the threshing floor "written throughout the whole Bible."
In addition to physical abuse, Pastor Shin has also been accused of overseeing the religious cleansing of a schizophrenic former member, binding him with duct tape and depriving him of his medication for 10 days. The restraints cut off blood flow to his legs, and he ultimately had to have one leg amputated. In 2014, Shin was sued for $6 million by the former member.
In 2018, Shin and three other church leaders were arrested after returning to Fiji. The Suwon District Court in South Korea found her guilty of keeping 400 followers in captivity, with their passports confiscated by senior church leaders. The court also found that the followers were subjected to forced labour and evening sermons. Shin was sentenced to six years in prison, of which she has served one year and eight months as of 2020. Despite the conviction, the Grace Road Church continues to deny any wrongdoing, claiming that the allegations are "lies."
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Frequently asked questions
It is challenging to provide an exact number of people involved in cults in Australia, as these groups often operate secretly and may not disclose their membership numbers. However, some estimates and case studies can provide insight into the prevalence of cult involvement in the country.
Yes, one of Australia's most well-known cults, "The Family," led by Anne Hamilton-Byrne, had hundreds of members, including educated individuals, and was active from the 1960s to the 1980s. Another example is the fundamentalist sect known as "The Two by Twos," or "The Church With No Name," which has about 8,000 followers across Australia.
Yes, some religious groups in Australia have been described as cults by some individuals. These include the Grace Road Church, the Unification Church, and the Good News International Church. Additionally, some consider unique churches, such as the Greek Pentecostal Church and the Mormon villages on the Sunshine Coast, to exhibit cult-like characteristics.
Yes, there have been recent reports of cult activity in Australia. For example, in 2023, there were allegations against the Grace Road Church for detaining followers and subjecting them to ritualistic violence. Additionally, in 2022, a student in Sydney expressed interest in researching smaller, active Australian cults for their honours thesis, indicating that cult activity may still be prevalent in the country.
Cult involvement can have significant negative impacts on individuals in Australia, as evidenced by the case of Anne Hamilton-Byrne and "The Family." Children under her care suffered brutal torture, and some were never able to recover, even taking their own lives. This illustrates the severe harm that can result from cult involvement.
