Victoria State flag
Victoria State flag
1956 : Meher Baba possibly entering Dr. O'Brien's home in Camberwell, Melbourne.
1956 : Meher Baba possibly entering Dr. O'Brien's home in Camberwell, Melbourne.

 

THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN PHOTO OF MEHER BABA IN MELBOURNE.

( retouched by Anthony Zois )

THE BOY ON THE LEFT OF BABA IS TERRY BUCHANAN AND HIS BROTHER TONY ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN BY LE BUCHANAN.

Present day
Present day

 

Click on the under-lined names below to visit their respective web pages on this web-site.

In early August 1956 Meher Baba and four of his men mandali ( close ones ) departed on a months circumnavigation  of the globe. They departed Bombay ( Mumbai ) by plane landing briefly at Damascus and Beirut Airports then onto Zurich and London. They then flew to New York NY, Richmond V.,Wilmington NC, Myrtle Beach SC, Washington DC., Dallas/Ft. Worth TX, Los Angeles-Meher Mount-Ojai-San Francisco CA., then to Honolulu, (Hawaii Is ), Kroton Is., Suva,( Fiji ), Sydney, Melbourne & Darwin, Australia, then onto Singapore and back to Bombay in mid August.

 

 

On the 11th August 1956, Meher Baba flew into Melbourne' old Essendon Airport after spending a couple of days in Sydney about 500 miles ( about 900 Kms. ) to the North.

Baba stayed for two nights in Melbourne and flew out to Sydney in the early evening of the 13th August.

For these two nights Baba stayed at Dr. Denis & Joan O'Brien's home in the suburb of Camberwell.

Denis O'Brien was a practicing eye specialist / surgeon.

During his stay in Melbourne, he gave private and general meetings, also visiting about 6 private homes of the followers who had gathered to meet him.

The local followers were ; Stan & Clarice Adams, Oswald & Betty Hall, John & Joan Bruford, Bill & Joan LePage and Dr. Denis & Joan O'Brien.

July 1956 - Mrtyle Beach, SC. : Image edited by Anthony Zois
July 1956 - Mrtyle Beach, SC. : Image edited by Anthony Zois
Looking North from the Arts Centre down Princes Bridge & Swanston Street
Looking North from the Arts Centre down Princes Bridge & Swanston Street
Flinders Street Railway Station - looking Eastward with Southbank on the other side of the Yarra River
Flinders Street Railway Station - looking Eastward with Southbank on the other side of the Yarra River


Local Meher Baba group meetings in the 1960s were held in the rooms under the clocktower.

26 Fairmont Avenue, Camberwell

Baba stayed at Dr. Dennis & Joan O'Brien home

PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS A PRIVATE RESIDENCE AND THE OCCUPANTS ARE NOT MEHER BABA FOLLOWERS. PLEASE RESPECT THEIR PRIVACY.

Baba's Sadhra
Baba's Sadhra

Meher Baba presented to Dr. Denis & Joan O'Brien representing the Melbourne Baba group in 1956 one of his sadhras, shown above, now in a museum display box.

Avatar's Abode Newsletter - 1
Avatar's Abode Newsletter - 1

STREET VIEW IMAGES

Avatar's Abode Newsletter - 2
Avatar's Abode Newsletter - 2
1956 : Crowd gathering outside the O'Brien's house in Maple Crescent waiting for Baba ; courtesy of Margaret Buchanan
1956 : Crowd gathering outside the O'Brien's house in Maple Crescent waiting for Baba ; courtesy of Margaret Buchanan

Margaret Buchanan is standing  front far right, next to her mother Beth and her brother Terry.

Avatar's Abode Newsletter - 3
Avatar's Abode Newsletter - 3
 Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Essendon Airport, 1963.  Photographer- Wolfgang Sievers
Essendon Airport, 1963. Photographer- Wolfgang Sievers

In the 1990s the Melbourne group exhibited at a "Mind, Body & Spirit" festival to promote Meher Baba to the general public.

Locals & Visitors to Melbourne over the years

 

Avatar's Abode Newsletter - 4
Avatar's Abode Newsletter - 4

Note: Whilst there are Covid-19 restrictions , no meeting will be held until further notice.

 

CURRENT MEETINGS ARE HELD AT 1 GAETANA ST., AVONDALE HEIGHTS, MELBOURNE.

For details contact ;

 

                                  Jasmine Fricker     

0438 300 193    jazzy_jai@hotmail.com

 

                                 Cynthia Borg

0409880005  cinnieborg@bigpond.com

Vintage poster of Melbourne's Town Hall and Collins Street looking West
Vintage poster of Melbourne's Town Hall and Collins Street looking West