the Victorian-era brown-brick building was falling into disrepair.
Salvation, perhaps unexpectedly, came in the form of the Church of Scientology Australia, which had grown too large for its Victorian headquarters on Russell Street in Melbourne’s CBD.
The Church – a Jackson Wells’ client – spent several million dollars, donated by parishioners, to convert the old teachers college into its first Ideal Org in Australia.
An Ideal Org is a large building designed to provide all the Church’s services, including training, counselling and administration. The Melbourne building is also open to the wider community.
It contains a Public Information Centre with impressive range of multi-media displays and panels outlining the history, beliefs and work of Scientology (including programs discouraging illegal drug use, promoting human rights, and providing aid to people affected by natural disasters).
Jackson Wells has provided issues management advice to the Church for nearly 18 months now. We were engaged following a number of unsubstantiated claims about the Church raised in the Senate by South Australia’s Nick Xenophon.
We provided media advice to the Church for the Melbourne event, which attracted a gaggle of protesters from the cyber-hate group, Anonymous, who struggled to make a noise above the sound of traffic passing between them and the site.
As is Church policy internationally, the media was not allowed to attend the event but were welcome to film dignitaries arriving. The ceremony was videoed and photographed by the Church’ and media outlets provided with footage within six hours.
This approach is taken to ensure attendees can celebrate without journalists potentially encroaching on their enjoyment (given the behaviour of some tabloid TV journalists, this approach is entirely reasonable).
There was media excitement around the attendance of Melbourne Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, who spoke on the invitation of his good friend and Scientologist, Kate Ceberano, who sang at the ceremony.
This interest intensified the day after the opening when newly-elected State Premier, Ted Baillieu, said unlike the Lord Mayor he would not have attended the opening.
Interestingly, the attendance and warm speech by Shadow Tourism Minister and local Labor MP, Justin Madden, barely rated a mention in the media.
I was fortunate enough to attend the function, which involved several hundred enthusiastic Scientologists who had travelled from across Australia.
Auntie Joy Murphy Wandin, senior elder of the Wurundjeri people, opened the dedication with a traditional ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony, welcoming Scientologists to the lands of her ancestors.
This was followed with a performance by Kate Ceberano of ‘This Song is You’, which she penned especially in honour of the occasion.
Other speakers included Moonee Valley City Councillor Paul Giuliano, human rights activist Bob Randall, and David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of Scientology worldwide.
Mr Miscavige spoke about Melbourne’s historic links with Scientology, noting that the religion’s Founder, L Ron Hubbard, visited the city in November 1959 to deliver a series of lectures to its founding Scientology community.
The Ideal Org stands on the site of the 19th century estate of Robert McCracken, leading businessman and founder of the Essendon Bombers Australian Football team.
Early in the 20th century, the building became the home of Mercy Teachers’ College, later part of the Catholic University. The original name of the estate is “Ailsa” for Ailsa Craig, an island off the west coast of Scotland from where the McCracken family sailed more than 150 years ago.
The Church plans to open a Sydney Ideal Org later this year.
