The Cult of The Family
Limited Series 2019 · 3 eps · ★ 7.0 · Documentary
Ended
A three-part investigation that chronicles the rise and fall of Australia's most notorious cult, The Family and its strange but charismatic female leader, Anne Hamilton-Byrne.
Directed by Rosie Jones · Written by Rosie Jones
Networks: ABC TV, Sky Crime
Your Rating
Where to Watch
More from Rosie JonesSee all →
Queen of the Desert · 2012Queen of the Desert
★ 10.02012
MovieDocumentary
Not only has she got pink extensions, painted on eyebrows, glitter stockings and superman hotpants, Starlady’s a youth worker in some of Australia’s most remote and challenging places. And she reckons that hairdressing can improve people’s lives. Like a real life Priscilla, Starlady takes us on a Queen of the Desert journey to Areyonga, an indigenous community in Central Australia, where she’ll work with a group of curious and cheeky young people.
The Family · 2016The Family
★ 7.72016
MovieDocumentary
Anne Hamilton-Byrne was beautiful, charismatic and delusional. She was also incredibly dangerous. Convinced she was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, Hamilton-Byrne headed an apocalyptic sect called The Family, which was prominent in Melbourne from the 1960s through to the 1990s. With her husband Bill, she acquired numerous children – some through adoption scams, some born to cult members – and raised them as her own. Isolated from the outside world, the children were dressed in matching outfits, had identical dyed blonde hair, and were allegedly beaten, starved and injected with LSD. Taught that Hamilton-Byrne was both their mother and the messiah, the children were eventually rescued during a police raid in 1987, but their trauma had only just begun.
Westall 66: A Suburban UFO Mystery · 2010Westall 66: A Suburban UFO Mystery
★ 6.02010
MovieDocumentary
It's based on the events of 6 April 1966, where, in the Melbourne suburb of Westall, 200 students, staff and local residents watched as a strange object hovered overhead for several minutes, landed briefly, then lifted off and vanished. Witnesses described it as low flying, silver-grey and shiny, shaped like a ‘cup turned upside down on a saucer’ and accompanied by five light aircraft. A mass of excited students surged out of school and ran after the object. Many reported seeing a circle of flattened grass on the ground where it had landed. One said she touched it as it took off. Others observed men in uniforms cordoning off the ‘landing site’ and removing soil samples by the truckload. Some say they saw uniformed men torch the area a few hours later. The incident was reported on the news on television that night and in the local newspapers.
The Lost City of Melbourne · 2022The Lost City of Melbourne
★ 6.02022
MovieDocumentary
The attempted ‘modernisation’ of Melbourne in the 1950s destroyed much of the city, including its elegant cinemas and picture palaces. Now, a new Melbourne-made documentary brings them back to life.
Brazen Hussies · 2020Brazen Hussies
★ 5.02020
MovieDocumentary
Reveals a revolutionary chapter in Australian history, the Women’s Liberation Movement (1965 -1975). Interweaves fresh archival footage, personal photographs, memorabilia, and personal accounts from activists all around Australia to show how a daring and diverse group of women joined forces to defy the status quo, demand equality, and create profound social change. These women defined one of the greatest social movements of the 20th century, sometimes at great personal cost.
Namatjira Project · 2017Namatjira Project
2017
MovieDocumentary
From the remote Australian desert to the opulence of Buckingham Palace - Namatjira Project is the iconic story of the Namatjira family, tracing their quest for justice.
Palazzo Di Cozzo · 2021Palazzo Di Cozzo
2021
MovieDocumentary
The story of the 83-year-old’s life, who arrived in Australia penniless in 1956 from Sicily and became a millionaire. Part biography, part cultural celebration, Madeleine Martiniello’s film traces Cozzo’s personal fortunes alongside those of the generations of migrants who have been drawn to his ornate, ostentatious wares, viewing ownership of them as a sign of success.
The Narrow Bridge · 2023The Narrow Bridge
2023
MovieDocumentary
THE NARROW BRIDGE is a searching journey into the souls of four people who, after searing pain, develop strengths they never had before. We watch with wonder as Bushra, Rami, Meytal and Bassam, women and men who lost a child or parent in violent conflict, transform their grief into a bridge for reconciliation.
Abebe – Butterfly Song · 2023Abebe – Butterfly Song
2023
MovieDocumentary
In 1986, Melbourne musician David Bridie of the groups Not Drowning, Waving and My Friend the Chocolate Cake travelled to Papua New Guinea, where he heard the heartfelt sounds of George Telek and the Moab Stringband’s ‘Abebe’ (‘Butterfly Song’) on board a bus. It marked the beginning of a profound fascination with the nation and its rich culture – and of a bond with Telek that would last more than 30 years.
More Like This
Couldn't load this row right now.
More on Prime VideoSee all →
Reacher · 2022Reacher
★ 8.12022
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
Jack Reacher, a veteran military police investigator, has just recently entered civilian life. Reacher is a drifter, carrying no phone and the barest of essentials as he travels the country and explores the nation he once served.
Chicago Fire · 2012Chicago Fire
★ 8.42012
SeriesDrama
An edge-of-your-seat view into the lives of everyday heroes committed to one of America's noblest professions. For the firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51, no occupation is more stressful or dangerous, yet so rewarding and exhilarating. These courageous men and women are among the elite who forge headfirst into danger when everyone else is running the other way and whose actions make the difference between life and death.
Chicago P.D. · 2014Chicago P.D.
★ 8.42014
SeriesCrimeDrama
A riveting police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department's District 21 who put it all on the line to serve and protect their community. District 21 is made up of two distinctly different groups: the uniformed cops who patrol the beat and go head-to-head with the city's street crimes and the Intelligence Unit that combats the city's major offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond.
