The History of the Melbourne Church of Scientology

In 1964 and 1965 the now famous Melbourne Inquiry into Scientology was "conducted". This was presided by a solitary Queens Counsel, Kevin Victor Anderson Its plan was overtly to destroy Scientology in Melbourne, and then use this as a precedent for suppression of Scientology in other areas. Priest penitent privileged files were "examined" in court, smear campaigns were run against the Church in local press and Scientologists were persecuted for practicing their religion.

It mattered little what was said in defense by the Scientologists at the inquiry. While Scientologists explained the miracles of their technology, their words were altered. This one man inquiry was a “kangaroo court”. [An improperly constituted or illegal court held by strikers etc - COD]

Scientology was then banned in Victoria by the Psychological Practices Act, December 1965 and so the HASI at 157-159 Spring Street, Melbourne was closed down. Similar acts were passed in Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.

For three years Scientology was not practiced in public Melbourne or Victoria.

The ensuing years, however, possibly has done more for the freedom of religion in Victoria then any other event in our history.

Three years later the Church was reopened in 3 Manchester Street, Hawthorn with Police waiting outside on the opening night and the press in attendance The meeting, however, went ahead as planned without incident. Soon after (despite failed efforts to get the "Church of Scientology" registered, owing to a ban on the use of the word "Scientology") the Church had to open it's doors under a new name of the "Church of the New Faith".

Scientology was kept alive by incredibly dedicated Scientologists, despite the bans, who then set about showing that their religion was indeed a religion, and should be protected by the Australian constitution from further political attack.