Australian Baha'i Community

What Australian Baha'i Community does

The Australian Baha'i Community is the national administrative and religious body for the Baha'i Faith in Australia, governed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia — a nine-member body elected annually. It was established in 1920 when John Henry Hyde Dunn and Clara Dunn introduced the faith to Australia, and now encompasses approximately 20,000 registered Baha'is organised across 400 communities and 200 Local Spiritual Assemblies nationwide. The organisation operates a community-led, volunteer-driven model with a small paid staff of 17 and is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from registered Baha'is; it has no commercial revenue model and does not publish financial information.

The community's core offering centres on the Sydney Baha'i House of Worship at Ingleside, NSW (one of eight continental Baha'i Houses of Worship worldwide), which is open daily for public devotional services, meditation, prayer, weddings, and group tours, supplemented by community building programs including children's classes, youth empowerment programs, study circles, and devotional gatherings. Digital channels include the bahai.org.au website, the Australian Baha'i Horizons online magazine, and active social media presence. Public discourse and social-cohesion programming are delivered through the Office of External Affairs, while human rights advocacy on behalf of persecuted Baha'is in Iran, Qatar, and Yemen is conducted in liaison with the Australian Government and the United Nations.

Strategically, the community pursues a horizontal engagement model targeting the general Australian public across all faith backgrounds, with active interfaith participation through the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations (APRO), the Sydney Sacred Music Festival, and the Youth Parliament of World Religions. Core technology is limited to religious administrative systems and standard digital publishing; there is no AI/ML capability, proprietary software product, or commercial IP. Distribution is primarily domestic through the Ingleside Temple, 200 Local Spiritual Assemblies, and online channels.

Name

Australian Baha'i Community

Legal name

National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia

Website

https://bahai.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Australian Baha'i Community is the national religious body for approximately 20,000 Baha'is across Australia, operating the Sydney Baha'i House of Worship, community education programs, interfaith dialogue, and human rights advocacy through its elected National Spiritual Assembly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Religious community services
• Interfaith dialogue
• Spiritual education
• Community worship
• Human rights advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Ingleside

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Contributions: Baha'i activities and properties are supported entirely by voluntary contributions of registered Baha'is. There is no commercial revenue model as the organisation is a religious community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Australian Baha'i Community operates as a religious community organisation offering spiritual worship, community building programs, and public discourse initiatives. Its core offerings include the Baha'i House of Worship in Ingleside, NSW for devotional services, meditation, and prayer; community building programs such as devotional gatherings, children's classes, youth empowerment programs, and study circles; social cohesion initiatives engaging broader Australian society; and human rights advocacy for persecuted Baha'is internationally.

Product overview

The Australian Baha'i Community operates as a religious community organization offering spiritual worship services, community building programs, and public discourse initiatives. The core offering includes the Baha'i House of Worship in Sydney (open for devotional services, meditation, and special events), the Australian Baha'i Horizons online publication, community building programs (devotional gatherings, children's classes, youth programs, study circles), social cohesion initiatives, and human rights advocacy for persecuted Baha'is internationally. The organization is governed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia, a nine-member elected body.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Australian Baha'i Horizons: An online magazine of news, stories and reflections from the Australian Baha'i Community
• Baha'i House of Worship (Sydney)
• Office of External Affairs
• Baha'i Books Australia
• World Conferences Australia

Products and services

• Baha'i House of Worship (Sydney) The Baha'i House of Worship located at 173 Mona Vale Road, Ingleside, NSW, is one of eight continental Baha'i Houses of Worship worldwide. It serves as a sacred space for meditation, prayer, and devotional services and is open daily to visitors of all backgrounds, with public devotional services held every Sunday at 11am and special services for holy days.
• Community Building Programs Spiritual life programs for community members including devotional gatherings, children's classes, youth empowerment programs, and study circles, delivered locally through the 200 Local Spiritual Assemblies across Australia.
• Social Cohesion and Public Discourse Initiatives Public discourse and social cohesion programs engaging broader Australian society on topics including equality of women and men, harmony of science and religion, and interfaith dialogue, coordinated through the Office of External Affairs.
• Human Rights Advocacy for Persecuted Baha'is Advocacy efforts protecting the human rights of Baha'is in Iran, Qatar, and Yemen, including representations to the Australian Government, media engagement, and submissions to UN human rights forums.
• Australian Baha'i Horizons An online magazine of news, stories, and reflections from the Australian Baha'i Community, featuring community stories, individual initiatives, and Baha'i institutional news.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations (APRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Australian Baha'i Community is an active participant in dialogue in Australia at the local, state and national levels through membership in the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations (APRO).
• Sydney Sacred Music FestivalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Australian Baha'i Community partners with the Sydney Sacred Music Festival for annual choral festivals and sacred music events held at the Baha'i House of Worship. The partnership brings together performers and audiences for interfaith cultural events.
• Columban Mission Institute (Youth Parliament of World Religions)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Baha'i Community participates in the Youth Parliament of World Religions, an initiative of the Columban Mission Institute that brings together youth from different religions to share and celebrate diversity and engage in multi-faith dialogue.
• United Nations and Australian Government (Human Rights Advocacy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Australian Baha'i Community liaises with the Australian Government and human rights organisations to advocate for the human rights of Baha'is in Iran. Australia has consistently supported UN resolutions condemning the persecution and raises the issue regularly at the UN Human Rights Council.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Australian Jewish Community (AIJAC / JNF): National peak body for Jewish community advocacy and education in Australia, with active participation in interfaith dialogue and religious freedom advocacy. Comparable as a national faith-based organization with similar advocacy and interfaith engagement.
• Australian Federation of Islamic Councils: National peak body representing Australian Muslim communities, coordinating worship facilities, education, advocacy, and interfaith engagement. Directly comparable as a national faith-organisation umbrella with advocacy on religious freedom and interfaith dialogue.
• Anglican Church of Australia: National governing body for Australia's Anglican communities, running worship communities, education programs, and social outreach across the country. Directly comparable as a national faith-based organization with elected governance, worship infrastructure, and interfaith engagement.
• Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney: Operates Sydney's Catholic parishes, schools, and the St Mary's Cathedral complex, serving worship, education, and community functions. Comparable as a Sydney-based faith community with significant physical worship assets, education programs, and public outreach.
• Hindu Council of Australia: National umbrella body representing Hindu communities in Australia, facilitating worship, education, and participation in national interfaith forums such as APRO. Comparable as a national faith-based organization operating through affiliated communities.
• Uniting Church in Australia: National synod-based Christian denomination with congregations across Australia, engaged in worship, social justice, and interfaith dialogue. Comparable as a national religious body with elected governance and active social-cohesion programming.
• Australian Christian Churches: National movement of Pentecostal and charismatic churches in Australia, with affiliated congregations, youth programs, and national governance. Comparable as a national faith-based organization operating worship communities and structured spiritual education programs.
• Baha'is of the United States: National Baha'i community in the United States, operating under the same Baha'i administrative order with elected national governance, community-building programs, and the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. The closest structural peer as a sister national Baha'i community.

Broad incumbents

• World Vision Australia: Large Australian faith-based NGO engaged in community development, advocacy, and partnerships with government and UN bodies. Comparable in faith-rooted national presence and human rights / social cohesion remit, though with a much larger paid staff and fundraising operation.
• Religions for Peace Australia: International and national multi-religious coalition coordinating interfaith cooperation on peace, human rights, and social cohesion. Comparable in mission focus on interfaith dialogue and human rights advocacy, though as a multi-faith umbrella rather than a single faith community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AustralianBahai
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCA_dQV1PfjLoxkX-UYNYa9g/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/AustralianBahaiCommunity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-bahai-community

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Baha'i Community