History of the Spiritualist Movement

1744

1845

1848

1849

1850

Cromwell Fleetwood Varley was first attracted to Spiritualism in 1850. He investigated the hypothesis that table rapping is the result of an electrical force and demonstrated that this hypothesis was altogether unfounded. In later years he had many curious psychic experiences, discovered that he possessed mesmeric healing power and effected cures on his wife.

Mrs. Varley had clairvoyant visions and spells of trance in which she foretold the exact course of her illness. After the birth of a son, Varley was one night aroused by three tremendous raps. He felt impelled to go into his wife’s room where he found the nurse intoxicated and Mrs. Varley rigid and in a cataleptic state.

 1852

Mrs. Maria Hayden came from America in 1852 and was the first Spiritualist Medium to work in England. The press and clergy were very antagonistic towards her but in spite of this, she succeeded in demonstrating spirit return

Judge John W. Edmonds (1816 – 1874)was one of the most influential early American Spiritualists.After a great public career, as a member of both branches of the New York State Legislature and, for some time, President of the Senate and Judge of the Supreme Court of New York, he resigned the latter position on account of the outcry raised against his Spiritualistic beliefs and, especially, his support of the Fox sisters.

1853

David Richmond (1816 – 1891)became a Spiritualist whilst living in America and upon his return to his native town of Darlington, England in 1853, tried unsuccessfully to open a Spiritualist church. He moved to Keighley and there established the first Spiritualist church in England.

Robert Chambers (1802 – 1871) English writer and publisher, played no public part in Spiritualism, but his conversion and anonymous activity was no secret to his contemporaries. He had many experiences with D. D. Home. The anonymous preface to Home’s ‘Incidents in My Life’ and the appendix, ‘Connection of Mr. Home’s Experiences with those of Former Times’ were written by Dr. Robert Chambers.

Professor of chemistry Robert Hare (1781 – 1858) at the age of 72, began his investigations and devised a number of instruments which, contrary to his expectations, conclusively proved that a power and intelligence, not that of those present, was at work. His book, ‘Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestation,’ published in 1855, summed up the results as follows: ‘The evidence may be contemplated under various phases; first, those in which rapping’s or other noises have been made which could not be traced to any mortal agency; secondly, those in which sounds were so made as to indicate letters forming grammatical, well-spelt sentences, affording proof that they were under the guidance of some rational being; thirdly, those in which the nature of the communication has been such as to prove that the being causing them must, agreeably to accompanying allegations, be some known acquaintance, friend, or relative of the inquirer.

1854

1855

Daniel Dunglas Home (1833 – 1886)One of the greatest physical mediums in whose presence almost all types of physical phenomena occurred. Born in Edinburgh, his powers were discovered whilst he was living in America. On his return to England, in 1855 the remarkable phenomena aroused great interest.Dr. Henry Slade was an American medium famous for slate-writing Mediumship, in which messages were written on sealed slates. He was thoroughly tested by several eminent investigators and pronounced genuine.

‘The Yorkshire Spiritual Telegraph’ the first Spiritualist Newspaper was published in Keithley

Alexander N. Aksakof (1832-1903) Imperial Councilor to the Czar, the pioneer Spiritualist of Russia, a Swedenborg enthusiast whose introduction to modern Spiritualism was effected by Andrew Jackson Davis’s ‘Nature’s Divine Revelations’ in 1855. Allen Kardec (1804 – 1869) published his classic, Le Livre des Esprits (The Spirits’ Book) – not very much is known about Allan Kardec’s early years within the Spiritualist Movement, but his impact upon the Movement is profound.

1856

1863

Andrew Jackson Davis (1826 – 1910)established the Spiritualist Lyceum in New York. The American born medium who, through his visits to the ‘Summerland’ during ‘out of the body’ experiences initiated Lyceum education and is acknowledged today as the Father of the Lyceum Movement.

Prof. Augustus de Morgan (1806-1871) One of the first English scientists who investigated the phenomena of Spiritualism and became convinced of their genuine occurrence. ‘I am perfectly convinced’, said De Morgan in the Preface of his wife’s book ‘From Matter to Spirit’, ‘that I have both seen and heard, in a manner which should make unbelief impossible, things called spiritual which cannot be taken by a rational being to be capable of explanation by imposture, coincidence or mistake.’

In the same year of 1863 he published his work ‘Mind’ and declared not only that the facts of supernormal occurrences were incontestable, but he also believed that the hypothesis that explains the facts by intelligence exterior to ourselves is the only satisfactory one.

Robert James Lees (1849 – 1931) was a journalist, philanthropist, novelist and medium. Lees believed that his psychic experiences began before his third birthday, at a stage of mental development when children are still discovering the basic properties of the physical world. These experiences were to invade his waking and sleeping hours for the rest of his life. It is claimed that Queen Victoria confided in Lees when he was just fourteen years old when she attempted to contact the spirit of the late Prince Albert. It is also claimed that Lees later helped Scotland Yard to confound several American-Fenian bomb attacks planned for Central London during the last two decades of the 19th century. There is also the well-known story of Lees’ alleged involvement in the search for Jack the Ripper An attempt was made to form the first National Organisation of Spiritualists in Darlington.

1865

1866

1869

1870

1871

Florence Cook (1856 – 1904) Outstanding for the wonderful materialisation of Katie King investigated by Sir William Crookes. He proved this spirit to be entirely separate and distinct from the medium.

Emma Hardinge Britten (1823 – 1899) received ‘The Principles of Spiritualism’ from Robert Owen (1771 – 1858) after he passed to spirit.

Sir William Crookes (1832 – 1919) reported on Spiritualism to the Royal Society and published his findings in the quarterly Journal of Science. An outstanding physicist who began his investigations into Spiritualism with the avowed intent of exposing it as nonsense. The facts, however, (particularly his investigation of Katie King through the Mediumship of Florence Cook) were too overwhelming, and to the end of his life he remained completely convinced of the truth of Spirit communication.

Alfred Kitson (1855 – 1934) Lyceum’s were opened in 1870 at Keighley and Sowerby Bridge in England. Alfred Kitson attended the first anniversary of the latter in 1871 and thereafter devoted himself to this cause. He began to develop a system of Lyceum teaching here based upon the American model of Andrew Jackson Davis.

1872

A second attempt to form a National Organisation was made at the National Conference in Darlington. Again it failed. However, it stimulated interest and people wrote to the Spiritualist Press. It soon became recognised that there was a need for such an organisation.

William Stainton Moses (1839 – 1892) An Oxford M.A. and a clergyman on the Church of England. He was a leading light in promoting The London Spiritualist Alliance, and became its first President and the first Editor of ‘Light’. His great contributions were the teachings produced through him by means of spirit controlled writing and published as ‘Spirit Teachings’ and ‘More Spirit Teachings’

Dr. A. Russel Wallace (1823 – 1903) co-discovered with Charles Darwin of the Theory of Evolution. He painstakingly investigated Spiritualism over a number of years, eventually in 1873 stating quite fearlessly that its phenomena were proved quite as well as the facts of any other science.

 1873

A conference was held in Liverpool which led to the formation of the British National Association of Spiritualists. The headquarters were in London

E. W. Cox – Sergeant-at-Law, well-known psychical investigator in the days preceding the foundation of the S.P.R., assisted Crookes in his first experiments with D. D. Home, suggested the term ‘psychic force,’ published a booklet ‘Spiritualism Scientifically Examined with Proofs of the Existence of a Psychic Force’ in 1872.

1874

Mme. d’Esperance (1855 – 1919)The Mediumship of Elizabeth Hope who worked under the pseudonym of Mme. d’Esperance, is an example of the quality evidence available through physical Mediumship.

The Eddy Brothers (1830 – 1940) An amazing family of physical mediums.

  1875

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831 – 1891)commonly known as Madame Blavatsky, founded the Theosophical Movement and wrote several books and articles.

Cecil Husk (1847 – 1920) was aware of his mediumistic abilities from his early childhood, experiencing clairvoyance and being accompanied by the unexplained movement of objects. Fortunately, Cecil’s father was a Spiritualist, and Cecil therefore did not suffer the fate of other mediumistic children who were victimized by unthinking parents.

David Duguid (1832 – 1907) This Glasgow medium was perhaps the most famous for spirit oil painting of landscapes, produced in total darkness and at an amazing speed, and independently of his hands. In his presence were produced all kinds of phenomena, and through him was dictated a remarkable book, the well known ‘Hafed, Prince of Persia’

George Spriggs (1850 – 1912) Designated as a ‘powerful English materialisation medium’ by Dr. Nandor Fodor.

Frank Podmore (1856-1910) One of the ablest opponents of Spiritualism, well-known psychical investigator, distinguished author. His personal experiences in supernormal matters date from his academic studies in Oxford. He rapidly became a convert to survival and communication with the deceased. Between 1875-76 he was a frequent contributor to ‘Human Nature’ on Spiritualistic subjects. His doubts as to the truth of Spiritualism were finally solved by his experiences with Henry Slade in 1876.

1878

Emma Hardinge Britten toured Australia and New Zealand promoting Spiritualism.

The Society for Psychical Research was started by the following:

Henry Sedgwick (1838 – 1901) Founder President of the Society who took an active part in the work of the Society until his death, and contributed largely to the ‘Proceedings of the SPR’. He investigated the work of many mediums but kept his personal convictions private.

1882

F. W. H. Myers (1834 – 1901) Cofounder of the Society whose celebrated book ‘Human Personality and its Survival of bodily Death’ is acknowledged as a classic, and has established psychical research as an organised science. The SNU recommends that all students of Spiritualism read this book.

Edmund Gurney (1847 – 1888) Cofounder of the Society who studied the psychological aspect of Hypnotism in England.

Sir Oliver Lodge (1851 – 1940) was a world-renowned physicist and a fearless champion of survival. One could not really call him a proponent of the Spiritualist Movement, but he was, surely, an avid believer in Spiritualist concepts.

1883

1884

1885

 1887

1889

1890

Stanley de Brath (1854 – 1937) Made his first acquaintance with the phenomena of Spiritualism in 1890 through Cecil Husk, carried on extensive research and ended by fully accepting survival and the occurrence of supernormal phenomena. After the war he worked at the Institut Metapsychique in collaboration with Dr. Gustave Geley. Editor of ‘Psychic Science’, the quarterly of the British College for Psychic Science.

Jan Guzyk (1875 – 1928) a Polish materialisation medium, the son of a weaver whose strange powers first manifested in his years of apprenticeship in the tanning trade at Warsaw. There were raps, blows on the walls and a stirring of objects as soon as evening approached. At the age of 15, under the domination of M. Chlopicki, an acknowledged Spiritualist, he became a professional medium. Aksakof took him to St. Petersburg where he achieved great success.

Ernest Bozzano (1862-1945) The dean of Italian psychical researches.  His attention was first directed to psychical phenomena in 1891 by Prof. Theodore Ribot who forwarded him to the first number of ‘Annales des Sciences Psychique’.

In the company of Prof. Morselli and Porro he had many sittings with Eusapia Paladino and ended by accepting the survival hypothesis and by becoming a most prolific writer on psychic subjects.

1891

1892

In 1892 William T. Stead (1849 – 1912)discovered that he had the gifts of spirit-controlled handwriting. He became associated with the L.S.A. and was a fearless champion of Spiritualism. He was, of course, a well-known editor, and a nationally famous figure for his great fight against the White Slave Traffic and the prostitution of children. He passed to the Higher Life through the tragic sinking of the ‘Titanic’ in 1912. Foundation of National Spiritualists Association of America.

Eusapia Palladino (1854 – 1918) was a medium whose name continues to be associated with both spectacular Mediumship and fraud; the impact made by her activity is clearly demonstrated by the continuing debate.

1893

1894

Lord Arthur Balfour (1848 – 1930)Served as the British Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905 and through his sister, the wife of Prof. Henry Sidgwick, the first president of the SPR, he became interested in psychic phenomena and the question of survival in 1882. In 1894 he occupied the presidential chair of the SPR. Especially interested in telepathy as it lent itself to experimental work. President of the SPR in 1893. President of the British Association in 1904.

Professor William James (1842 – 1910) Professor of psychology at Harvard University, achieved his MD in 1869 and later taught physiology and philosophy. One of the founders of the ASPR, president of the SPR in 1894-5, vice-president from 1890-1910.

Prof. Baron von Schrenck-Notzing (1862 – 1929) German pioneer of psychical research, a physician of Munich who specialised in psychiatry which eventually led him into psychical research. With the awakening of his interest in psychical research he founded the ‘Gesellshaft fur Metapsychische Forschung’ and began his study of telekinesis and telepathic which rendered him famous.

Up to the time of his death there was no important medium in Europe with whom he did not conduct personal experiments. He commenced with Eusapia Palladino at whose experiments he was present as early as 1894 in Rome.

1897

1899

1900

Dr. Hereward Carringtonat the age of 19, joined the Society for Psychical Research and afterwards devoted his life to psychical research. He became assistant to Dr. Hyslop, who was leader of the American Society for Psychical Research, founding in 1906. Dr. Carrington wrote widely on the subject of Spiritualism.

Theodor Flournoy – Professor of Psychology at the University of Geneva; author of perhaps the most remarkable book in the whole literature of psychic science: ‘Des Indes a la Planete Mars’ (From India to the Planet Mars), Paris, 1900. This was the sensation of the year and the passage of time has in no way affected its unusual scientific worth, or mitigated its absorbing interest. It deals with the Mediumship of Mlle. Helen Smith to whose circle he was first admitted in the winter of 1894-95.

1901

1902

1905

1906

1908

1909

 1910

Dr. Eugene Osty (1874 – 1938)First became convinced of ‘metapsychic’ phenomena in 1910. On his return of the war, Dr. Gustave Geley invited him to join the Management Committee of the IMI. From 1924 to 1931 Osty gave up his activities as a doctor, to devote himself entirely to the IMI and the study of ‘metapsychic’ phenomena. He organized, animated and supervised experiments, in particular with Jean Guzik, then with the Austrian medium, Rudi Schneider.Towards the end of the 1920’s, in collaboration with his son Marcel, an engineer, he constructed an experimental device making it possible to objectify the existence of an opaque substance during ectoplasmic productions. Osty undertook his experiments in a purely scientific manner, rejecting both the popular but dogmatic views of orthodox science and also the uncritical attitude of Spiritualism. He wrote his widely known book ‘Supernormal Faculties in Man’ in 1923.

Etta Wriedt (b1840) In addition to voices heard in the daylight, there were other features to her séances as well: luminous forms, etherealisations gliding about the room in darkness. Sometimes dogs materialised and barked…Flowers were taken from vases and placed in the hands of sitters…invisible fingers touched the sitters and rapped by the trumpet to urge a hesitating person to answer promptly when spoken to, luminous discs…were seen to move round…The sitters were often sprinkled with water, wafts of cool air were felt.’

1911

The Bang Sisters Within the vast and marvellous records of American physical Mediumship, one of the most outstanding chapters belongs indeed, to the turn of the century mediums, the Misses Elizabeth S and May E Bangs, of Chicago, Illinois. Their gifts included above board, independent writing in broad daylight (mostly slates), and independent drawing and painting; all forms of fully developed clairvoyance, materialisations, and direct voices. Their most wondrous and spectacular phenomena was that of precipitated spirit portraits in full colour.

P Stanislawa, the wife of a Polish officer, subject of Baron von Schrenck Notzing for important materialisation experiments. At the age of 18 she saw the phantom of a friend, Sophie M., who died at the exact time. Soon after, spontaneous telekinetic phenomena developed. Having joined a Spiritualistic circle, Sophie M. materialised and became the medium’s permanent attendant, occasionally sharing control with ‘Adalbert’ and a young Polish boy. In 1911 P. Lebiedzinski, a Polish engineer, began a series of experimental séances which lasted intermittently until 1916. His report, published in the ‘Revue Metapsychique’ (1921, No. 4) was favourable.

1913

1914

1915

1916

Dr. W. J. Crawford (1881 – 1920) whose painstaking and thorough investigations with the Kathleen Goligher Circle between 1917 and 1920 go a long way towards discovering the ‘psychic’ laws behind telekinesis phenomena. Crawford’s conclusions are summed up in three important books: “The Reality of Psychic Phenomena”(1916); “Experiments in Psychic Science” (1919); and “The Psychic Structures in the Goligher Circle” (1921).

James Hewatt McKenzie (1870 – 1929) Founder of the British College of Psychic Science began the study of psychic facts in 1900 – led to this by dissatisfaction with the failure of Science or Theology to throw any light on Man’s destiny. Years of private study and investigation followed, and in 1915 he gave a series of various lectures in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In 1916 he published ‘Spirit Intercourse, Its Theory and Practice’ and a pamphlet ‘If a Soldier Die’, which had a wide circulation. In 1917 he toured U.S.A. as far as Chicago in search of mediums and again in 1920, spending a good deal of time in California on the latter visit.

In 1920 the College was established, and for this venture Mr. McKenzie found the entire initial cost. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1858 – 1930) proclaimed his belief in the teachings and truth of Spiritualism. Just as Andrew Jackson Davis was called the ‘John the Baptist’ of Modern Spiritualism, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was called the ‘St. Paul’ of Spiritualism. He was a prolific writer on the subject and an avid proponent.

  1918

Sir William F. Barrett (1845 – 1926)published his book ‘On the threshold of the unseen; an examination of the phenomena of Spiritualism and of the evidence for survival after death’. Barrett made searching inquiries both in England and in the USA. His summing up was that there is evidence for the existence of a spirit world, for survival after death, and for occasional communication with those passed over.Franek Kluski (1873 – 1943) an educated man, a banker and writer, did not attract the level of attention that was given to such mediums as Daniel Dunglas (‘D. D.’) Home, Eusapia Palladino, Rudi Schneider and others. His short period of Mediumship lasted only seven years; the amount of information detailing his activity is therefore limited.

Dr Glen Hamilton (1873 -1935) In 1918, soon after his son’s wartime death, he began to experiment with psychic phenomena. His aim was the investigation of paranormal phenomena such as rapping’s, psychokinesis, ectoplasm’s and materialisations under scientific conditions that would minimize any possibility of error. His work became known in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. Between 1926 to 1935 he presented 86 lectures and wrote numerous articles that were published in Canada and abroad.

John Campbell Sloan (1869 – 1951) a direct voice medium was investigated extensively by Arthur Findlay and whose findings were published in Findlay’s book ‘On the Edge of the Etheric.’

1919

1920

William McDougall, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, author of ‘Body and Mind and Social Psychology’, President of the S.P.R. for 1920-21 and of the A.S.P.R. for 1921, member of the Scientific American Committee for the investigation of Margery’s Mediumship, a keen but reserved investigator who takes great care not to commit himself as to the genuine occurrence of the supernormal and agencies of an extra-terrene origin.

Rev. G. Vale Owen (1869 – 1931) a Church of England clergyman who developed spirit controlled writing. A whole series of articles produced in this manner was published in the ‘Weekly Despatch’ in 1920 and made a profound impression.In consequence of this publicity he was persecuted by his Ecclesiastical superiors and resigned from the Church. He conducted lecture tours of Britain and America. His ‘Life Beyond the Veil’ (five volumes) has become a Spiritualist classic.

Dr. Walter Franklin Prince, Ex-minister of the Episcopal Church, research officer of the A.S.P.R. from 1920-24, founder and research officer of the Boston S.P.R., President of the S.P.R., 1931-32, an able and extremely sceptical investigator. His cure in the multiple personality case of Doris Fischer was brilliant, his studies of the case of Patience Worth and of the Antigonish ghost especially instructive. His books: ‘The Case of Patience Worth’, ‘The Psychic in the House’, ‘Noted Witnesses for Psychic Occurrences’, ‘The Enchanted Boundary’ and (in collaboration with Mrs. Allison) ‘Leonard and Soule Experiments’.

 1921

Dr. Konstantin Oesterreich, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tubingen, an authority on religious psychology, the first modern scientist in Germany who publicly declared his belief in psychic phenomena. In 1921 he published two books:’Grundbegriffe der Parapsychologie’ and ‘Der Okkultismus im modernen Weltbield’.

In the latter he testified to materialisations and telekinesis as facts. Oesterreich is a very active and thorough psychical researcher. The number of his articles in scientific papers, his university lectures and monographs in which he has presented the case of psychic science is significant.

1922

1923

Rudi (Rudolf) Schneider (1908 – 1957) One of the four sons in the Schneider family who demonstrated their mediumistic abilities at a young age.Stella Cranshaw One of the descriptions of Stella Cranshaw, better known as ‘Stella C.’, was that she was ‘a simple, well-educated girl whose main interest in life was not in psychical science at all, but to whom ‘odd’ things occurred.’

Prof. Camille Flammarion (1842-1925) is noted chiefly as the author of popular books on astronomy, including Popular Astronomy and The Atmosphere. He was later to write extensively on psychical research, and produced classic works such as ‘Death and Its Mystery,’ vols. 1, 2 and 3. One-time President of the SPR in 1923.

Geraldine Cummins Authoress, daughter of the late Professor Ashley Cummins of Cork, Ireland, remarkable automatic writer, receiving communications alleged to emanate from Phillip the Evangelist, Cleophas and F. W. H. Myers. The development of her Mediumship began in December, 1923, in sittings with Miss E. B. Gibbes. She never studied theology or kindred subjects. She travelled far and wide but never visited Egypt or Palestine. Ordinarily her work of composition is very slow. In her automatic writing the speed is remarkable. On March 16, 1926, 1,750 words were produced in one hour and five minutes.

Stephan Ossowiecki (b1877) was a Polish engineer, and one of the most remarkable and scientifically tested clairvoyants. He inherited his psychic gifts from his mother’s side, and could read thoughts from early childhood. In the Engineering Institute at Petrograd, where he studied, he astounded his professors by answering questions enclosed in an envelope without opening it. He could see coloured auras of surrounding people, heard raps and could move objects telekinetically. When he practised telekinesis his clairvoyant powers diminished. At the age of 35 he lost his telekinetic powers and his gift of reading sealed papers developed remarkably. With human subjects he showed even more penetration. Most of the persons he meets have no secrets from him. He knows their most intimate thoughts, and reads their past, present and future as in an open book.

1924

1927

 1930

1931

to

1935

1932

1934

Alexander Frederick Harris (1987 – 1974) was born in Treherbert, in the Rhondda Valley, and was a physical and direct-voice medium.

1936

1937

Spiritualism investigated by Church of England Committee set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Cosmo Lang. (It’s subsequent favourable report was suppressed but leaked to ‘Psychic News’).

Jack Webber (b1907) A Welsh ex-miner, Jack Webber was born in 1907 into a Christian family, but was introduced to Spiritualism through his wife’s acceptance of this. He discovered his mediumistic abilities when attending a home circle.

1938

1939

1940

  1944

1945

Helen Hughes (1893 – 1967) was a superb medium who conducted countless propaganda meetings around the British Isles, in modern times when Mediumship was still subject to the antiquated and outdated Witchcraft and Vagrancy Act (formed in 1735).

Lord Dowding came into prominence as a champion of Spiritualism after the 1939-1945 war. Lord Dowding was in command of the R.A.F. during the Battle of Britain and, through a medium friend, many of the airmen who had passed over were able to give their former Chief convincing evidence of their survival. Since then Lord Dowding spoke and wrote indefatigably on his convictions regarding the continuity of life.

1946

1950

1951

1957

1963

1964

Proposals were put to the Spiritualists’ National Annual General Meeting at Manchester for the formation of a Guild of Spiritualists Healers.

Stansted Hall bequeathed to the Spiritualists’ National Union by Arthur Findlay to be used as a College for the advancement of Psychic Science.

1966

1968

1969

Ena Twigg (b1914) On September 4, 1969, while Ena Twigg, her husband, Harry, and canon John Pearce-Higgins sat in the living-room of her home, suddenly a discarnate voice commanded her to switch on the tape recorder. The spirit voice belonged to the missing Bishop Pike, who – unknown to anyone on Earth – had then been ‘dead’ for twenty-four hours.

1970

1971

1972

1973

1975

The Denomination of the Church of United Spiritualism of Australia was founded by the late Arch Reverend Anne McCann. Prior to 1975, there were a large number of individual Churches throughout Australia. Eventually they came together and began talking and sharing ideas and information about Spiritualism.This progressed extensively and eventually there was a combined meeting of the individual Churches, where it was agreed that they would become a Denomination.  Anne McCann was voted in as the Arch Reverend, as she had an extensive amount of knowledge of the Law and politics. Anne was also a high ranking member of the Labour Party.

This allowed her to learn the legal aspects for the Denomination. It was through Ann McCann that the Church of United Spiritualism became proclaimed on the 25^th August 1975, by an Act of Parliament by the then Governor General Kerr.

Prior to this, anything connected to Mediumship, clairvoyance, psychics and any other connection to the paranormal, was illegal to do so in Australia. (See the Witchcraft Act, which was then the Vagrancy Act).  This was unique in itself, as it allowed previously illegal acts to become legal. The Denomination was proclaimed and a Constitution from the Lyceum Manual was formed.

This proclamation ensured that the Denomination of The Church of United Spiritualism of Australia has the right to have rites; i.e. the right to be married as a Spiritualist – under Marriage Act 1961, and to have naming and funeral services, held under the auspices of the Church.

Upon the passing of Arch-Rev Anne, the present Arch Rev Ken Pearsall was voted into office as the Nominating Authority and Arch Reverend in 2003.

George William Chapman (b1921) undoubtedly a medium who stands out prominently in the sphere of twentieth century Mediumship. One recognition of this was gaining the ‘Spiritualist of 1975’ award, presented to him by Harry Edwards.

At the S.N.U Annual General Meeting, members voted in favour of adopting a new set of Articles of Association which were circulated prior to the meeting. This resulted in bringing into force the three tier system of administration.

1976

1979

1980

1981

1986

1987

 1989

1990

 1991

Archie Roy (b1924) Founder member of PRISM – Psychical Research Involving Selected Mediums which is an organization devising scientific experiments, using mediums, to give evidence of survival. Archie, for many years Professor of Astronomy at Glasgow University, is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, the British Interplanetary Society and has been President of both the Scottish and English Societies for Psychical Research.

He has lectured in many countries, been an invited speaker for NATO Scientific Division, edited journals and newspapers, investigated haunted houses and haunted people. His publications are over seventy scientific papers, scores of articles and thirteen books.

1994

1995

1998

1999

2000