Scientology in Australia

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Scientology has been in Australia since the mid 1950s. Their numbers vary depending upon the source: according to the last census it has a growing population, 2507 members, up from 1489 ten years ago [1], while Scientology itself has claimed 150,000 members in Australia. [2][3] It has headquarters in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra and has a mission in Tasmania. The Church of Scientology Australia is the regional headquarters for the entire Asian and Pacific area.[citation needed]

In 1959 L. Ron Hubbard travelled to Australia and delivered lectures on 7 to 8 November at the Melbourne Congress and the First Melbourne Advanced Clinical Course from 9 to 30 November. [4] A Scientology Splinter group, known as the Freezone, also have an Australian web site presence. [5]

Contents

[edit] Interaction with Education

Scientology has arranged at least one anti-psychiatry exhibition in Australia, and is active in the media about what it claims are the dangers of psychiatric drugs and the treatment of ADHD. Scientology, through its group Narconon has run an anti-drug campaign in dozens of schools in Melbourne, giving presentations and handing out brochures. [6] Scientology members have also attended events like the Big Day Out to give out anti-drug information.

Scientology has one school in Australia, the Athena School in Newtown, Sydney. The Athena School has 90 pupils ranging from pre-school to year 10. It has eight teachers, who have completed six months' training in L. Ron Hubbard teaching techniques but do not hold formal qualifications.[7].

[edit] Volunteer Work

Medan, Banda Aceh in Indonesia offered Scientology Assists to the flood victims in order to to convert locals.[8][9][10].

[edit] List of Scientology Organisations operating in Australia

Scientology operates a number of organisations under various names in Australia, the different organisations generally focusing on specific areas of operation. Some of these include Narconon, WISE ANZO (World Institute of Scientology Enterprises), Citizens Committee on Human Rights, Hubbard Dianetics Centre, Mission of Inner West, New Era Publications, The Way To Happiness Foundation, The Language Palace and Victims of CultAware.

[edit] Chelmsford deep sleep therapy

Main article: Deep Sleep Therapy

Scientology claims credit for the ban on deep sleep therapy in Australia. Scientology pursued state government and Commonwealth government departments, until they managed to have a Royal Commission established to look into Chelmsford Private Hospital and the practice of Deep Sleep Therapy. A number of patient deaths were linked to the practice, and charges were laid against two hospital workers. Deep Sleep Therapy was banned in NSW as a result. [11]. The push for the banning was heralded by the President of Citizens Committee on Human Rights (an advocacy group established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology) Ms Jan Eastgate. It later successfully also pushed for a full survey of the practice in all Australian States except for Queensland. [12]

[edit] Banning and Lifting of the Ban

Government criticism of the Church of Scientology was begun by a Victorian public servant, Dr Eric Cunningham Dax [13]. Based on the findings of the Anderson Inquiry[14], to which Dax contributed[15], the Church of Scientology was restricted from forming under that name in Australia. The ban in Victoria lasted from 1965 until 1973, in South Australia from 1968 to 1973 and in Western Australia from 1968 until 1972. As a response to the banning of Scientology in WA and SA, Scientology changed its name to the Church of the New Faith, a body incorporated in Adelaide in 1969, and continued to operate in those two states. However, it closed its Spring St office in Melbourne, Victoria.

In Victoria the ban was legislated in the Psychological Practices Act, 1965, which prohibited using an E-meter or teaching Scientology for fee or reward. In the understanding that Scientology was a form of psychology[citation needed], this law required anyone practising psychology to register with the newly established Victorian Psychological Council. However, it exempted any religious denomination recognised by the Australian government under the federal Marriage Act since it used a definition of psychology broad enough to include the counselling traditionally done by priests and ministers of religion. Although similar laws were later passed in Western Australia in 1968 (the Scientology Act) and South Australia (the Scientology (Prohibition) Act, 1968 replaced by the Psychological Practices Act, 1973), the Church remained active in these two States.

In January 1973, the newly elected federal Labor government recognised the Church of Scientology as a religious denomination under the Marriage Act, making it effectively exempt from the provisions of the Victorian Psychological Practices Act. Western Australia had already repealed its Scientology Act in the previous year.

On 25 February 1981, officials of major religions urged repeal of the Victorian Psychological Practices Act, which was subsequently amended by the Psychologists Registration (Scientology) Act, 1982 to remove all references to Scientology[16]. This Act was finally[weasel words] repealed by the Psychologists Registration Act, 1987 [17]. The South Australian Psychological Practices Act has remained in force and has a necessary role in regulating the activities of psychologists and hypnotists in that State. However, neither this Act itself [18] nor the current regulations [19] now contain any reference to Scientology. The Western Australian Scientology Act, 1968 was repealed in 1972, and replaced by a Psychologists Registration Act, 1976 [20] with similar provisions to regulate psychologists.

The Anderson Report's conclusion that Scientology "is not a religion" was finally[weasel words] overturned in 1983 by a High Court of Australia judgment, which allowed the church to claim tax exempt status in Australia. [21] Scientology now enjoys the full rights of any other religion and is practised freely throughout Australia, and the High Court decision, dismissing the earlier judgements, now serves as the current precedent for defining religious groups.[original research?]

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Revesby Murder

A Sydney woman diagnosed with a psychiatric illness, was not administered psychiatric drugs prescribed by the hospital because of the beliefs of her Scientologist parents, and instead administered vitamins imported from the United States. Her condition worsened, and her parents became alarmed, finally relenting and administering the prescribed medicine. However, three weeks later, she assaulted them, killing two family members and wounding another."[22] [23] .[24] The mother has since recovered, and the case is still to be heard.[25]

After the incident, Australian Church of Scientology vice-president Cyrus Brooks in Sydney continued to criticise Psychiatry and Psychiatric drugs, while the Australian Medical Association President Dr Rosanna Capolingua, speaking on ABC Radio, said if the girl had had access to appropriate medical treatment it could have "changed the course of her life."[26]

[edit] Queen St Massacre

Main article: Queen Street massacre

In the Queen Street massacre case, the Gunmen, Frank Vitkovic, had been tested by the Church of Scientology two months before he shot a number of people in the Queen St Massacre. [27]. [28] "Vitkovic took a personality test carried out by a Church of Scientology volunteer. The results of the test, the Scientology volunteer believed, made her suspect that he might have hit rock bottom. The voluntary worker, Ms Eleanor Simpson, who had no formal training in psychology, believed Vitkovic was extremely depressed. She could recall only one other personality test having a worse result. She did not refer Vitkovic to a psychiatrist but suggested he enrol in the Ups and Downs in Life course run by the Church."[29]. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Alan Bartholemew presented evidence at the trial concerning Scientology's testing of gunman Frank Vitkovic. Bartholemew indicated that the Scientologist's testing of gunman Frank Vitkovic, though revealing that Vitkovic was suffering a serious mental condition, was not treated effectively. Bartholomew also stated that the test itself may have contributed to Vitkovic's mental state before he shot 8 people in 1988. [30]

[edit] Noted Members

Noted Australian members of the church are Kate Cebrano (singer from the 80's)[31], and Media tycoon James Packer has been involved with the church [32] but left in 2008 [33]

[edit] Litigation

The Church of Scientology has been involved in a number of lawsuits and threatened legal action during its five decade history in Australia.

  • The UNSW computer School was contacted and asked to remove a page that was critical of Scientology.
  • A suit was brought against Anderson and his assistant Gordon Just who produced the Anderson Report, in 1971. The citations in the Victorian Reports are: Hubbard Association of Scientologists -v- Anderson (1971) VR 788; Hubbard Association of Scientologists v. Anderson (1972) VR 340 [appeal of 1971 VR 740]; Hubbard Association of Scientologists International v Anderson and Just (No 2) (1972) VR 577. The Victorian Parliament passed special legislation to give the two immunity from these writs [34].
  • Scientology also litigated against the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation[35]
  • Both critical website www.Sweenytod.com and its Internet Service Provider were threatened with legal action unless parts of the website were removed [36]

[edit] Billboard Promotion

Scientology used a notable promotion in Sydney for many years, an "electronic talking billboard" a 33 metre high Volcano billboard situated in the main cinema district on George st. The Volcano billboard was "33 metres wide, 10 metres high and projects three-and-a-half-metres from the Metro's facade. It is internally illuminated by 150 special display lamps synchronised to create a stylised simulation of lava flowing down the sides of the volcano. Each eruption heralds the screening of ads on the TV screen. Non-toxic smoke will spew from the crater at regular intervals." The billboard was used to promote Dianetics books [37] [38].[39]. [40] It eventually fell into disuse, and was removed around 2000.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Danaher, Carla Scientology gains followers in Victoria, Australia" Herald Sun July 9, 2007
  2. ^ Casey, Marcus "Sales Pitch for the Souls" The Daily Telegraph. pg 32, April 19, 1997
  3. ^ Powell, Sian "Church's Quiet Spread" The Weekend Australian. Feb 1, 1997
  4. ^ (1976) The Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology 3: 542-546 (Bridge Publications: Los Angeles) ISBN 0-88404-043-7
  5. ^ http://fanza.axdf.net/
  6. ^ Liam Houlihan, Herald Sun, "Scientology Lessons" p 15, August 16 2005
  7. ^ http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/23/1056220542333.html Burke, Kelly. "Scientology class suits shy Hindu" Sydney Morning Herald, July 4, 2003
  8. ^ Scientology - Church of Scientology Official Site
  9. ^ [1] Tsunami Report by Disaster Zone - Indonesia Report - January 4, 2005 University of Utah Alumni Association e-Newsletter
  10. ^ [2] Hort, Krishna (2005) The Maldives and Aceh: from relief to reconstruction Melbourne University Magazine
  11. ^ http://www.scientology.org/reform/new/5chelms.htm
  12. ^ Parrington, D "Shock Treatment under fire" Sunday Mail, Queensland. July 27. 1986
  13. ^ Garrison, O.V. (1974) The Hidden Story of Scientology. Citadel Press: Secaucus NJ. ISBN 0806504404 p.145
  14. ^ The Anderson Report - Contents
  15. ^ State of Victoria (1965) Transcript, Board of Inquiry into Scientology. pp. 2976, 3207.
  16. ^ "Scientology makes its move for an 'all-clear'" The Mercury (Hobart), Mon 02 Aug 1982, p7
  17. ^ Microsoft Word - 87-60a.011
  18. ^ [3][dead link]
  19. ^ [4][dead link]
  20. ^ http://www.slp.wa.gov.au/statutes/swans.nsf/PDFbyName/226A3ED741613520482565D70018F4F8?OpenDocument
  21. ^ Church of the New Faith v Commissioner of Pay-Roll Tax (Vic) 1983 154 Clr 120 [1983] HCA 40; (1983) 154 CLR 120 (27 October 1983)
  22. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,2122476,00.html Macmhon, Barbara, "Accused family killer was 'denied treatment by Scientologist parents'" The Guardian, July 10, 2007.
  23. ^ AdelaideNow... Scientology beliefs 'stopped accused killer getting treatment'
  24. ^ OpenCms - Discussion Example - Church of Scientology and the Web
  25. ^ http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22098730-1702,00.html "Woman recovers from 'Scientology' stabbing," The Australian July 19, 2007
  26. ^ Scientologists 'flat earthers' - National - smh.com.au
  27. ^ Pitt, Helen. "Court sees Video of Queen st Shootings", Sydney Morning Herald, 16 Sept 1988
  28. ^ "No rest for the Wicked" The Age, 30 November 1997 Page 1
  29. ^ Pitt, Helen. "Inside the mind of a mass murderer," Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum, 8 October 1988
  30. ^ Hall, J. "Queen St.Church to blame" Herald, October 4, 1988
  31. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s917578.htm enough Rope Interview with Andrew Denton
  32. ^ http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/23/1037697937276.html Sharp, Annette "James Packer and Scientology" The Sun Herald, November 24 2002
  33. ^ People - Entertainment - smh.com.au
  34. ^ Anderson, K.V. (1986) Fossil In The Sandstone: The Recollecting Judge. Spectrum Publications: Melbourne. ISBN 0867860952
  35. ^ Church of Scientology v Woodward [1980] HCA 38; (1982) 154 CLR 25 (2 October 1980)
  36. ^ Church of Scientology Legal threats against this web page
  37. ^ Andrew Hornery, Sydney Morning Herald, Sat 04 May 1996, p13 Scientologists' message goes up in hi-tech smoke
  38. ^ Smyth, Terry,Nightmare on George st, Sun Herald 26 May 1996
  39. ^ http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn/orgs/syd/volcano.jpg - Pic hosted on Suburbia.net
  40. ^ Corbett, Bryce. City Hall Stops for Billboard. The Daily Telegraph May 23, 1996 p 13

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Scientology Portal

[edit] Church of Scientology

[edit] Free Zone

[edit] Critics Sites

[edit] General