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Another capital to get a ‘national’ Scientology center. Can you feel the excitement?

 
Fresh off the purchase of an Ideal Org building for Adelaide in August, Scientology is buying a building in Canberra which will be known as the National Church of Scientology. Canberra is the capital of Australia and although it’s surrounded by New South Wales, the city is a small independent enclave known as the Australian Capital Territory or ACT. Almost 400,000 residents make it the country’s eighth largest city.



[January 2019 Canberra donations board]

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If you’ve never heard of the Canberra Scientology org you’re not alone: it’s tiny. It sits in a strip of shops near City Hill, one of the city’s two main ring roads. Attendance at events is usually 10 to 15, and the fundraising is in the hundreds rather than tens of thousands of Australian Dollars. To open an Ideal Org money is primarily being raised in Sydney and Melbourne and we think much comes from the IAS. The staff will have to come from outside and the “safepointing” described by L. Ron Hubbard as necessary for establishing an org is also from neighboring orgs.

 

 
The Mantra Hotel dinner event is only a block from the old org, but we can’t see a building of 50,000 sq. ft. being purchased on City Hill or Capital Hill south of Lake Burley Griffin. The location is a closely held secret for now. We’re betting on a suburban location such as Belconnen or Mitchell. Any further out and they wouldn’t be in the ACT but in New South Wales. It’s a trade-off made for many Ideal Orgs. They leave a small location in the city center with foot traffic for a large facility in the suburbs with no possibility of pedestrian drop-ins. If it happens according to schedule the sale will be reported in the business press in a few days.

 

 
Donations are being solicited based on the city being the seat of Australia’s government. It’s typical of Scientology to think that having an Ideal Org there will have a huge impact on governmental policy, but we doubt Her Majesty’s Government or any of the 107 ambassadors will ever know the org is there. The two universities mentioned are Canberra University and the Australian National University.

 

 
This is the mindset of the Ideal Org movement. First, safepoint the org, then build the org, then Scientology will spread like wildfire. It’s not true in Moscow, Tokyo, London or Mexico City, so there’s no reason to think Canberra will become a Scientology dominated city in the next few years. As with all Ideal Orgs there will be a brief boom and then a bust.

 

 
Each Ideal Org in ANZO has a mascot, and Canberra’s is the penguin. Canberra is 150 Km inland and has no penguins. If Scientology is working on all orgs to reach ideal status simultaneously, they still have to renovate Adelaide and Canberra, and buy and renovate a building in Brisbane to make ANZO an ideal continent, sending it straight up and “verticle.”

— Rod Keller

 
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!

[Catherine Bell, Chick Corea, and Nancy Cartwright]

We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. 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!

Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!

Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] A peek inside Janis Gillham Grady’s second volume as ‘Commodore’s Messenger’
[TWO years ago] DRONE FLYOVER: Scientology’s failed underground vault project in Wyoming
[THREE years ago] Marty Rathbun defends Scientology leader David Miscavige as he trashes tell-all memoir ‘Ruthless’
[FOUR years ago] Louis Theroux film — ‘My Scientology Movie’ — to premiere October 14 at the London Film Festival
[FIVE years ago] Signs of chaos emerge for Scientology’s drug rehab legal defense
[SIX years ago] Scientology Leader David Miscavige Files Declaration in Texas Lawsuit

 
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder

Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,555 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,684 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,188 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,708 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 728 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 619 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,926 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,794 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,568 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,342 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,688 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,254 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,173 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,341 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,922 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,183 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,222 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,934 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,460 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 986 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,549 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,689 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,009 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,865 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,984 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,339 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,642 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,748 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,150 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,022 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,605 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,100 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,354 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,463 days.

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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 1, 2019 at 07:00

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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. Our book about Paulette, 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, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)

Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | 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 | Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ

Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…

Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or 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 | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele

 

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