History:

The Brahma Kumaris Retreat Centre forms part of the worldwide Brahma Kumaris movement, a spiritual organisation founded in India in 1936 by Lekhraj Kripalani, later known as Brahma Baba. Beginning as a small meditation and spiritual study group, the movement gradually expanded internationally, promoting peace, meditation, self-awareness, and values-based living through the practice of Raja Yoga meditation.

As the movement spread globally during the second half of the twentieth century, the Brahma Kumaris established a presence in Australia. In 1996, the organisation purchased the property in Frankston South that would become the Peninsula Retreat Centre, now recognised as one of Victoria’s major Brahma Kumaris retreat centres.

The site itself has a unique history. Originally constructed as a staff training college for the State Bank of Victoria, the property later became part of the ANZ Bank portfolio following the collapse and takeover of the State Bank in 1990. A few years later, the property was sold and transformed into a spiritual retreat centre dedicated to meditation, contemplation, and personal renewal.

Located within peaceful bushland near the Mornington Peninsula, the Peninsula Retreat Centre has since become a place of silence, reflection, and spiritual learning. Over the years, it has hosted meditation retreats, workshops, seminars, and community gatherings focused on inner peace, positive thinking, and personal wellbeing, welcoming people from many different backgrounds and faith traditions.