All Episodes

February 6, 2023 97 mins

TRIGGER WARNING: This case covers some dark topics including child abuse and mention of suicide. If these subjects are triggering to you, please skip from 39:27 to 49:18. 

Have you heard of the Australian Family Cult? We hadn't either...

In this episode, Alana brings us the Cult run by the notorious Anne Hamilton-Byrne, in all of her evil. This Case goes from shocking to downright despicable as we discuss the many lives and many many crimes of Anne, many of which went undocumented, and unprosecuted. This is a real rollercoaster guys so buckle up, Alana has a story to tell.

Sources Cited:

  • Big Stories Co. “About.” About – The Cult of The Family, https://cultofthefamily.com/about/

  • Cappello, Nile. “On Cults, and the Weight of Family.” CrimeReads, 18 Feb. 2020, https://crimereads.com/on-cults-and-the-weight-of-family/

  • Cusack, Carole. “The Family (Australia).” English, https://wrldrels.org/2018/01/03/the-family/

  • Elias, David. “Missing Girl.” Newspapers.com, 8 Sept. 1983, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104855488/missing-girl/

  • Haworth, Abigail. “Growing up with the Family: Inside Anne Hamilton-Byrne's Sinister Cult.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Nov. 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/20/growing-up-with-the-family-inside-anne-hamilton-byrnes-sinister-cult

  • Johnston, Chris, and Rosie Jones. The Family: The Shocking True Story of a Notorious Cult. Scribe Publications, 2017. ISBN10: 1925228681 

  • Johnston, Chris. “Family Ties.” Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2017/family-ties/#:~:text=Before%20she%20was%20the,town%20with%20one%20main%20street

  • Moore, Sarah. “Why I See Anne - by Dr Sarah Moore/Hamilton-Byrne.” Why i See Anne - by Dr Sarah Moore/Hamilton-Byrne, 15 Aug. 2009, http://drsarahmoore.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-i-see-anne-by-dr-sarah.html

  • Various. “New Age.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Jan. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age

  • Various. “Sarah Moore (the Family).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 May 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Moore_(The_Family)

  • Various. “The Family (Australian New Age Group).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Jan. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_(Australian_New_Age_group)


Connect with us!

Spookery is available where ever you get your podcasts!

Instagram is @SpookeryPodcast
Twitter is @SpookeryPodcast

Send us a Gmail at SpookeryPodcast@gmail.com for your own spooky stories, corrections, and additions to any of our content!

Art was created by the amazing Rhian Perry at https://www.instagram.com/digipaw1/?utm_source=qr&igshid=NGExMmI2YTkyZg%3D%3D 

All music is from the Epidemic Sound Library.

Until next time, Stay Spooky! 


Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.