Anne Hamilton-Byrne And The Children Who Were Never Hers

Anne Hamilton-Byrne is a name that Australians won’t soon forget. What started out as a series of yoga teachings by the woman who believed she was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, would end up becoming one of our country’s most sinister cults.  The Family, as it would come to be known, included a number of children with dyed blonde hair, who believed Anne Hamilton-Byrne was their mother. For all but one of them, she was not.  Jessie Stephens sits down with journalist and author Jo Thornely to take a look into the mind of Anne Hamilton-Byrne, the founder of ‘The Family’, who kidnapped children and drugged her followers. If this episode brings up any issues for you please reach out to the National Sexual Assault and Family Violence Hotline on 1800 RESPECT, that’s 1800 737 732. GUEST: Jo Thornely HOST: Jessie Stephens PRODUCER: Elise Cooper RESEARCH ‘Zealot’ by Jo Thornely https://www.hachette.com.au/jo-thornely/zealot-a-book-about-cults   GET IN TOUCH: Call the PodPhone on 02 8999 9386. Email the show at [email protected]    True Crime Conversations is a podcast by Mamamia. Find more shows here https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcastsBecome a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.