Hamilton-Byrne had one kid and lost her first husband in a car crash. After this, she started taking then teaching yoga. She was drawn to its connections with Eastern religion and eventually began teaching yoga to curious middle-class housewives in Melbourne. This is how she began her cult.
During the 1960’s Hamilton-Byrne built a reputation in Melbourne for people interested in Eastern religion and mysticism. This is where she met Dr. Raynor Johnson. He is quotes as saying that she was “unquestionably the wisest, the serenest, and most gracious and generous soul I have ever met.” The two experimented with LSD and Johnson introduced her to doctors, nurses, and lawyers who were also seeking new age wisdom. Johnson also helped recruit her to the cult and let her use his property on the outskirts of Melbourne as their headquarters, building a lodge on the grounds for group meetings and discussions. The hospital that Johnson worked at was used as a way to find new members. A cult member ran a psychiatric hospital and would threaten to commit people if they tried to leave the cult.
The cult was a combination of mishmash of Hindu, Buddhism, and Christianity and Hamilton-Byrne thought of herself on the same level as deities Jesus Christ, Buddha, and Krishna.
She would force people to take LSD and then open a door and stand there in a white gown with a bucket of dry ice behind her and people believed that she was a holy being.
The cult became known as ‘The Family’ and eventually grew to 500 people and began stealing babies. They would target newborns and used psychological drugs to force to make women sign over adoption papers while giving birth. They also took children from the cult members. They eventually ended up with 28 children. Hamilton-Byrne wanted to create the perfect VonTrap Family.
