George Eldred - Melbourne

Is there anyone here who, like me, studied under George Eldred? George was the President of the Victorian Spiritualists' Union.

Hi Richard

Welcome to the site, you are in luck we have one member who started her Mediumship with George

Hi Richard,

I began my training for mediumship under George Eldred at the VSU way back in 1966 - 1972 before moving to England where I continued my training and work as a Spiritualist medium.

I have very fond memories of George, and still appreciate the skills he helped impart in me, and the ethics so important to being a medium. Are you aware that there was a video of his memorial service and many of his writings have been reproduced by his son-in-law George?

When were you at the VSU?

Hello Lis,

I first visited the VSU in Sep/Oct 1970 and, strangely, the first person I met was George. (The door was shut, so I knocked, & George opened it for me.) About 4-5 weeks late, George sent me into a Healing Group run by Marguerite White. In the last quarter of 1971, George invited me to work with the Monday night open healing sessions & into the group of students he taught personally. To say that I enjoyed them immensely, while I learned far more than I thought I was learning, is an understatement. I moved to Hobart (TAS) in October 1980 and the what I missed most of all was George & the VSU. He got me involved with the Hobart Spiritualist Church & I met him every time he came over there.

He appointed me a Minister of the "National Association of Spiritualists" & VSU, when he was involved in setting up the NAS.

I now live in Oklahoma City, USA, and, since the late 2000s (2008, I think), George has been popping in, on and off, to help with healing & readings. He often drops in when I need motivation.

I do miss his physical presence in my life - the sheer joy of the loving energy he radiated.

Does anyone have any photos of him they'd like to share. All the photos I had from that time of my life was lost in a box that the shippers lost when I moved to the USA.

Be well,

Richard

How do I get hold of copies of the video & writings?

Hi Richard,

His son in law george runs this church and you can buy the material from him http://ozhealing.tripod.com/thechurchofthesevenprinciples/ you will probably need to email him about it. His email address is hard to spot
george10@iprimus.com.au

Jim

Thank you. I remember Monya, the daughter of George & Dot, pretty well too.

I sometimes go to Church of the Seven Principles Church run by Monya and George. It is a wonderful, classy place in that there are always quality mediums and lectures. Unfortunately it operates only once a month.

My own teacher was a colleague of George Eldred. George and Monya sell DVDs of George Eldred's trance lectures and other things.

The VSU is very different now. They were rent by conflict over a year ago and I left that particular church because of that. There are some good people still working there. Irena Pommers is one of them. She is a wonderful medium and superb person. She was also a colleague of George Eldred.

I would love to have been around in those times. The VSU building in a'Beckett Street, Melbourne is redolent with vibrations and history. They have a great library. One day they might return to the centre of things as place of excellence in mediumship and community.

Hi Richard and Liz,

although I don't go by my real name online (never do, just because I feel more secure that way), I also attended the VSU when George was president and Dot would sit close by when he did his Saturday afternoon trance talks. I liked those very much. You would have no reason to remember me anyway. After develping through the VSU, I did do some platform work but gave it up many years ago because I was unwell in a way that made me a poor channel of Love and that was important to me.

I remember Irena Pommers well. I can't imagine that Millie (? forget her surname) is still with us. It was after all nearly 40 years ago. I started attending the VSU, I think, in 1972 after hearing of it from a work colleague. I worked in the city. My favourite speaker was Joan Kotz because she spoke her mind, was very much her own person.

One of my oldest friends was doing platform work before me, Joyce Zwarycz (now Hunter) Her son Ivan also did platform work at the VSU. He was very young at the time. Sadly, both Ivan and his brother (two years his junior) both passed away in their late 30's/early 40's (within a fortnight of each other)

When Joyce started up her own circle, I joined that and the experience was altogether different as we found in that group people who seem to have been drawn together over lifetimes. We were shrouded in Love and the entire experience was one of the happiest, most memorable times of my life. Others in that group have remained lifelong friends.

Spiritualism has remained the backbone of my life and given me not only strength but also much joy.

Nice to meet you :}

PS I'm not aware of any conflict because I haven't attended the VSU or any Spiritualist church now for very many years. I found that church services gave me less than sharing with others about spirituality per se.

I have now looked up The Church of The Seven Principles but it is too far for me to get to now.

Take care

emorie

emorie wrote:PS I'm not aware of any conflict because I haven't attended the VSU or any Spiritualist church now for very many years. I found that church services gave me less than sharing with others about spirituality per se.

I have now looked up The Church of The Seven Principles but it is too far for me to get to now.

Take care

emorie

Hello Emorie,

If you would like a lift one Sunday to the Church of the Seven Principles, let me know - perhaps just send a PM and we can talk about it. It would be nice to catch up with someone who had experience of the old days. I understand that you would want to be sure of someone you meet on the Internet, however. I am female and have been sitting in Joanne King's circle. Joanne was a medium at the VSU during George Eldred's time. She is a remarkable woman. I've taken leave of the circle just recently for perhaps similar reasons that you might have all those years ago but I hope to return after Christmas.

Monya and George sell DVDS of George Eldred's trance lectures and various other interesting material at every event they hold. I will send you the Church's email address by PM in the next few days. You might like to contact them directly.

All the best,

Quiet

Hi Quiet,

We know Joanne well, she has been over to us in Adelaide on several occasions now. It seems that we are getting a good gathering from Oz on here.

Jim

Hi Quiet,

thank you. I will be glad to take you up on your offer but cannot do it right now. A lot happening. I'll be in touch.

Liz,
who was the celebrant at George and also Dot's funerals?

Thanks,

emorie

Hello emorie,

I knew Joan Kotz very well. She was actually a very good friend, but I lost touch with her when she moved to South Australia. We used to sit in the very back row, up against the wall, and watched the guides come and go. It was a lot of fun.

I moved to Hobart in 1981 and got involved in the Chutch there.

I sure miss Australia and the spiritualists there. There's nothing like it in Oklahoma (USA) where I now live.

hello ive joined this forum on the behalf of joyce zwarycz (hunter) she was amazed that people remembered her and her sons and would love too know who wrote the topic about the group and the platform with ivan.
Cant wait for a response about the vsu as she has lost touch with many dear friends over the years

Hi Richard,
I used to live on the Mornington Penninsula. I know Joan and have contacted her. I also know Joyce Hunter well, as she was my teacher and sat in my class. I only met George once, but he did do my spiritual name but could not do the service as he was unwell at the time, so the VP did it but I can't remember his name. Can anyone let me know. Thanks, Krya

Hi Krya,

Did you ever know Michael Cartwright a very good medium who lived in Rosebud?

No sorry, I cannot remember the name, I am not good with names, I remember Joyce, Joan Kotz, Judith Buckley, Mary someone, (think her last name started with an M?). The others will come to me as I think back on these times - many years ago. I did work at Allan Bennetts (probably spelled that wrong). Krya is a user name of course, part of Kriya (as in yoga).
There was a very good numerologist but can't remember his name either.
I lived in Rosebud for a time, then moved to Melbourne, then to Cape Schank, then finally McCrae.

The numerologist was Keith Hinchcliffe.

Hi there, this is my first post. I need to update some of you regarding the VSU (Victorian Spiritualists Union) in Melbourne. Over the last 5-6 years, they've expelled 5 Members, also removed numerous affiliated Churches, including Box Hill, run by George's daughter Monya. Members and life members that have volunteered from 10 to over 40 years of dedication service, have been pushed out, others turned their backs, never to return. Not how I envisaged spiritualism!!

The basic problem with all 'unions' is that a small group of people in tiny 'positions of power' get caught up in personal inner visions of the group, losing sight of Life in the process.
All of such activities generally begin with an attempt to explain and enlarge the view and understanding of the complexity of our earthly journey, but somewhere along the way try to 'collectivise' what is essentially a solo odyssey.

Hi My Journey I can totally understand your thoughts on this. What has happened at teh VSU is very sad because, at its best it represented something other Aus churches/centres were proud of.

It appears to me that the current VSU Committee have banished George's picture to the back cupboard. They've also tossed aside numerous Churches, including Monya's Box Hill, these Churches have now joined the Christian Spiritual Churches.
Some may remember Jessie Miller, 40 years service, and Betty Finn 25 years service and Life Member, these along with countless others and their years of dedicated service have been pushed aside by the current Committee. Sadly the VSU stories continue, their tactics belong to cults or dictatorships, not spiritualism.

Sadly Michael Cartright passed away, I believe he wasn't coping after his wife passed, and he chose to end his life.

What a depressing account of that particular Spiritualist scene .... echoes of the SNU here.