The Clearing is an Australian psychological thriller series that is available on Hulu (Disney+ globally) and was created by Elise McCredie and Matt Cameron. The protagonist of the story is Freya Heywood (Teresa Palmer), a former member of the Kindred, a cult that existed in rural Victoria decades ago. After a local girl mysteriously vanishes, Freya starts to believe that the Kindred have reactivated. She is aware that the group’s leader, Adrienne Beaufort / Maitreya (Miranda Otto), is faking dementia, as are the majority of the others in her immediate circle, including physicist and former professor Dr. Bryce Latham (Guy Pearce).
Dr. Latham can be considered the co-founder of the Kindred in “The Clearing.” He is an intellectual who changed his focus from physics to metaphysics and joined a group that ruined his reputation in academia. He is almost as much to blame as Adrienne for the trauma, suffering, and sorrow that Freya and the others went through as children. As most of you are probably aware, the 2019 book ‘In the Clearing’ by JP Pomare, which presents a fictionalised depiction of the actual Australian cult The Family, is the inspiration for the film ‘The Clearing’. If you’re wondering if Dr. Bryce Latham is based on a real person because of this, we’ve got you covered.
Is Dr. Bryce Latham Based on a Real Person?
The opening line of “The Clearing” reads, “While some plot points were influenced by true occurrences, this series is a work of fiction. No resemblance to real people, places, or events should be inferred because the names, places, and events in the story are all made up for dramatic effect. Yes, Dr. Bryce Latham is based on a real person, albeit much of the series’ other characters are strongly fictionalised versions of their real-life counterparts. The late scientist, writer, and parapsychologist Raynor Johnson is the inspiration for the character.
Pearce Guy admitted to being anxious about how much research he ought to conduct when working on a character in an interview with The Guardian. The actor remarked, “It can sometimes be helpful, but it can also open up cans of worms that convolute what it is I’m initially picking up from in the script.” Johnson, who is originally from Leeds, England, earned his MA at Oxford University and his Ph.D. in Physics at the University of London. Johnson was fascinated to parapsychology even while living in London, and he joined the Society for Psychical Research there.
Johnson made the decision to relocate to Australia because of his religious upbringing, and in 1934 he accepted a position at the Methodist Queen’s College at the University of Melbourne. He continued to serve in that capacity for the ensuing three decades. His mysticism and psychical research beliefs in the ensuing years earned him critics in the Methodist Church and the university, which caused him to quit in 1964. Johnson initially met Anne Hamilton-Byrne, a yoga instructor who would go on to become the leader of The Family and is the inspiration for a portion of Miranda Otto’s character in “The Clearing,” when he was 61 years old.
In all actuality, Johnson co-founded The Family with Hamilton-Byrne, whom he referred to in his work as “supernaturally beautiful.” The Queen’s College Council criticised Johnson for his part in the development and growth of The Family in a statement. His [Johnson’s] theological and philosophical viewpoints, which Mrs. Hamilton-Byrne quietly seized and exploited, served as the fundamental foundation of the sect’s worldview. His name undoubtedly gave the sect’s actions more shine and respectability. When its covert activities started to draw negative attention, he also defended it in the media.
He brought new members into the group through his numerous public speeches, both in Melbourne and abroad. However, there is no proof that he deliberately sought out college graduates or his pupils to join the group, the statement said. It continued by saying that even though there is no proof connecting Johnson to the administration and operations of the Newhaven Psychiatric Hospital in Kew, which the cult is said to have used to find new members and obtain LSD, he did occasionally visit the facility and probably knew the precise nature of its connection to The Family. The phrase implies that Johnson was likely aware of the adoptions. It goes on to say, however, that there is no proof that Johnson was aware of the appalling treatment of the kids.
How Did Raynor Johnson Die?
Raynor Johnson had a spouse. In October 1925, he and Mary Rubina Buchanan exchanged vows to become husband and wife. Two daughters and two sons were among their four offspring. He visited India in the 1960s and spoke with a number of religious leaders there. His “Santiniketan” (abode of peace) residence in Ferny Creek, close to Melbourne, was frequently utilised by The Family for gatherings. Johnson eventually began to see Hamilton-Byrne as his spiritual leader or teacher.
Johnson was buried in Macclesfield Cemetery after passing away on May 16, 1987, in the Melbourne, Victoria suburb of Upper Ferntree Gully. Ironically, the children were taken from The Family’s care after officials searched the organization’s headquarters (Kai Lama) in August of that year. Hamilton-Byrne and her husband were extradited from the US six years later to Australia to stand trial there.
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