Rajneesh Cult's Pemberton Takeover

0:00It's March 23rd, Adelaide News Today starts now, AI-powered and ready. I'm Cory with the story. In 1985, members of the Rajneesh Movement showed up in the small town of Pemberton, Western Australia, taking over the Kerry Valley, resort on the outskirts. Dressed in bright orange and red robes, they aimed to create a commune there, drawing attention from locals who first noticed them through a worried, father searching for his missing daughter at the nearby Gloucester Motel. The southwest region has long attracted spiritual groups seeking isolation, like the Universal Brotherhood in the 1970s and in online, cult in the early 2000s that banished mysteriously. Experts say these were most spots that leaders control followers completely, cutting off outside influences and family ties. Locals in Titanette Pemberton, fueled by forestry and farming, grew concerned as dozens of children arrived at the resort with few adults around. Former resort worker Bev Lawrence called it unsettling,

1:00like an orphanage, while ex-member Bruce Menzies later admitted parents often neglected kids, in pursuit of spiritual goals. Tensions rose with news of scandals at the group's massive organ ranch, including bioterrorism plots and the visit from leader Ma Ananshila, who dismissed local objections. Community meetings packed the town hall, and the Shire rejected their plan for an onsite school. The group packed up and left soon after. Thanks to the unified pushback from Pemberton residents, leaving behind a story of how a small town protected, its way of life from outside intrusion.