Australia

A young American member pioneered Sydney in October 1965 and tried to witness there. However, within a few months she was swept away by the world, unable to overcome the challenges of pioneering.

According to British National Leader Dennis Orme's direction, Carl Redmond was sent to Sydney from England in January 1973. In less than forty days, a new member, Les Raddin had joined the church. In April 1973, German missionary Christa Jensen was sent to Melbourne, Victoria, by Reverend Paul Werner. The following day another German sister, Annette Biran, came to join her. Their activities at that time consisted of witnessing and doing part-time work to solve financial problems.

In October 1974, centers were set up in Adelaide and Perth. Sung-pyo Hong, president of Il Hwa company, visited Australia in 1975 and he established One World Enterprises to sell ginseng. Members began to sell ginseng by going from house to house and fundraising was thus begun. In 1976, pioneer witnessing was done in Canberra and Brisbane. Missionary Jong-gu Park visited Australia and consecrated a Holy Ground in October 1976. That year, another missionary, Werner Linderman, was sent from Germany to work with Christa.

After a leaders meeting with True Parents in 1977, Missionary Carl Redmond was appointed national leader of Australia. Until that time, the centers in Sydney and Melbourne were being operated separately from each other. Carl received instructions to establish the church headquarters in Melbourne.

In June 1978, Christopher Olson received instructions from Reverend Chung-hwan Kwak to assume the leadership of the Australian church. A mobile witnessing team was organized that year and guided many members in their lives of faith. Moreover, Elwood center was purchased in Melbourne that year using the fruits of fundraising. These were the headquarters until 1984 when they moved to Canberra, the nation's capital. They moved back to Melbourne in 1987. In 1978, also, a Mr. Arai was sent from the church in Japan to pioneer the fish industry. The business prospered and has contributed to the movement in Australia. In 1979, missionaries from Australia and New Zealand were sent to Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean. This was also the year when Reverend Kwak visited the Oceanic region for the first time. A building near Canberra was purchased as a part of the plan to build a training center to be named "Willadoo." The church suffered its most serious persecution in that year including seeing several members kidnapped. Although Missionary Christopher Olson became leader of the Oceanic region at the end of that year, due to a visa problem he moved to New Zealand and set up the church headquarters there. Missionary Carl Redmond again became leader of Australia.

In 1980, Christa Jensen received a new mission to work in the Bahamas. That year also saw the establishment of a factory manufacturing health shoes. One World Enterprises also began to sell other health-related products.

CARP was established at Sydney University in 1981. In 1982, Missionary Jin-hee Ryu visited Australia and sent some members to do forty-day pioneer witnessing. Missionary John Doroski became the continental director of Oceania and national leader of Australia as well. Missionary Carl Redmond was given a new mission to work in Barbados. In November 1982, following the 2,075-couple and 6,000-couple Blessings, Reverend Kwak visited Australia and gave guidance about the Blessing.

In 1983, large plots of land at two separate places in Queensland, and also centers in Brisbane and Canberra, were purchased. The Greenvilla Nursery was established at one of the two plots (the other was sold off in 1989). At the end of that year, Reverend Kwak came with Mr. Kunitoki and named the land South Garden. PWPA received approval as a corporate body on June 15, 1983, and held its first meeting in August.

In 1984, Reverend Kwak visited for the fourth time and a forty-day, regional-level workshop was held in Brisbane with Reverend Kevin McCarthy and Mr. Noda lecturing.Reverend Hyung-keun Kim was sent to New Zealand as missionary in December 1983. In 1985, he received instructions from Reverend Kwak to assist John Doroski. In June 1986, Reverend Kim became national leader of New Zealand and continental director of Oceania. New Zealand has since become the home of the church headquarters.

The main activities from 1983 to 1989 were witnessing and fundraising. New members were sent to experience church activities in both Australia and New Zealand, and to the islands. With the exception of 1986 and 1989, conferences were held every year and cooperation with PWPA in Australia continued. An International Religious Federation (IRF) rally was held in 1988. IRFF sent relief goods to many island countries. A marine product business, named Catch o' the Day was founded in Melbourne.

In January 1989, ten people were sent from Australia for the 1,275-couple Blessing. There had previously been considerable effort made to prepare funds to offer for the ensuing mobilization. In February 1989, World Itinerary Worker Reverend Paul Werner came to Oceania region. Reverend Moon had given each country instructions to do a 120-day full time witnessing campaign. The work began in the middle 1989.

With Reverend Hyung-keun Kim and his family moving to Australia in early 1990, the headquarters moved to Australia from New Zealand. A building was purchased in Sydney in March 1990 to be used for both a regional and national headquarters. The funds Reverend Moon had given for setting up a business were used in purchasing the center. The consecration ceremony was held on March 31, 1990. A 21-day regional workshop was held in April. At the workshop, Reverend David Hose gave internal guidance. Missionary Carl Redmond returned to Australia in September 1990.

With the arrival of Reverend Kim, from the time of the God's Day 1991 leaders' meeting in Korea, genuine pioneering activity began in many cities of Australia.

	*** Reverend Chung-hwan Kwak, Director of World Missins, visiting Australia with his wife ( July 1986 )