Rod Keller gives us a glimpse of Scientology fundraising happening on the other side of the planet…
Adelaide is Australia’s fifth largest city, and is known as the “city of churches.” This week Scientology raised the money needed to purchase a new building that will replace its old storefront with an Ideal Org. It marks the end of one phase and the start of a new round of fundraising to renovate the building.
The wealthy Clearwater and Los Angeles Scientologists have been absent so far, but the money doesn’t come from the locals in Adelaide. They are primarily small business owners in Melbourne and Sydney.
Antonio Trio owns a home exterior cleaning and renovations company in Melbourne, over 700 Km from Adelaide. Scientology opened an Ideal Org in that city in 2011 and now publics at Ideal Orgs are funding projects that could never be completed by raising money only at home.
Mike Carter owns a roofing company in Sydney, over 1,300 Km away. Sydney’s Ideal Org opened in 2014.
Wayne Curnuck is an owner of a furniture store with locations in Melbourne and Sydney, but not Adelaide.
Simon and Anna Vale are Perth publics. The Perth Ideal Org opened over 2,600 Km away from Adelaide in May.
Andrew Rinder is an investment property manager in Melbourne. He is also the brother of former Scientologist Mike Rinder. Both Mike and Andrew were born in Adelaide.
Nick Theochari is a jeweler in Melbourne.
Fergus Gartland is an IT sales manager in Melbourne.
Mike Hibbard owns a home construction company in Coffs Harbour, midway between Sydney and Brisbane, over 1,700 Km from Adelaide.
Oisin Grogan is a Melbourne-area business coach using L. Ron Hubbard’s business policies.
Julian Dirou owns a roofing company in Sydney.
Ken Frank owns a motorcycle dealership in Melbourne.
Using this timeline of donations we estimate Scientology has raised 2.5 million Australian Dollars, or about US$ 1.9 million. The good news for Scientology is that the building they are buying appears to be in good condition and the renovations should be inexpensive. We have only one photo.
— Rod Keller
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Bonus items from our tipsters
It’s that time of year again, donors!
Oh, those sneaky Scientologists…
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’re building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs.’ We’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them, in order to build a record and maintain a watch as Scientology continues its inexorable decline — and yes, we finally have comments working on these new pages! Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Today’s Scientology front: Author Services Inc./Galaxy Press!
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Now on sale: Twice the Miss Lovely!
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. What a pleasure it is for us to work with her on this after we wrote about her ordeal as a victim of Scientology’s “Fair Game” campaigns in our 2015 book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, which is also on sale in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions.
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] DOX: Scientology’s pricey Florida ‘spiritual mecca’ keeps up its value in latest tax records
[TWO years ago] You saw Bonny Elliott talk about her battle with Scientology; Now hear it from her husband
[THREE years ago] Hey, Legoland: A former Scientology youth explains what your money will buy
[FOUR years ago] Another Riffer-ific salvo from Scientology leader David Miscavige in our legal roundup
[FIVE years ago] Here Comes Scientology, Here Comes Scientology, Right Down Hollywood Boulevard!
[SIX years ago] Scientology Targeting Eagle Scouts In New Initiative
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,286 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,417 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 1,919 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,399 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 462 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 350 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,657 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,525 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,299 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,073 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,419 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 10,985 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 6,905 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,072 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,653 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,913 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 1,953 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,665 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,191 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,280 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,420 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,740 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,596 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,715 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,071 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,373 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,479 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,882 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,753 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,336 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,831 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,085 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,194 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on December 2, 2018 at 07:00
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Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2017 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
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Join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news