A $2,000 grant to an online publication described as white nationalist has prompted an internal investigation into the Australian English-Speaking Union’s Victorian branch, a charity with more than $16 million in cash and assets.
The ABC alerted the national body to the grant, which went to The National Observer, and the probe followed. ESU Australia said it took the matter seriously. A spokesperson said: "AESU is a non-partisan, non-political organisation. We do not engage in political advocacy, nor do we support donations to political organisations or to any organisation that does not uphold the ESU's purpose and mission." The ABC investigation did not suggest that all ESU Victoria members share or support white nationalist views.
The Grant and the Publication
ESU Victoria said the application cited the publication's independent podcasts promoting Australian culture, heritage and language, and requested money for lapel microphones and website development. The branch placed responsibility for content squarely on the recipient. "While the content of the National Observer's podcasts are that organization's responsibility, we support the common law freedoms available to all Australians, including freedom of expression," it said.
The publication's actual output tells another story. One anonymous article called for the "accelerated removal of non-citizens" and incentives for the permanent "departure" of some Australians with dual citizenship. Another asked, "Are White Australians being replaced?" The outlet also runs a weekly podcast hosted by its founder, who goes by "John Lawson". In November 2025, about 11 months ago, Lawson interviewed Eric Orwoll, founder of the US "whites only" enclave Return to the Land, about applying its ideas in Australia. Far-right European party representatives have appeared, too. In an episode featuring an Alternative for Germany campaigner, an Australian host said the publication aimed to "try and build a young elite who have these right-wing ideas".
The BAC Connection
The grant isn't the only link. Company documents show ESU Victoria and the British Australian Community share a building in Ascot Vale. The BAC is a far-right interest group that says it exists to "promote and defend the interests of Anglo-Celtic Australians". In 2024, about two years ago, the BAC urged then-opposition leader Peter Dutton to "initiate the orderly remigration of recent arrivals wishing to return to their homelands" and proposed a government department to deport people.
ESU Victoria president Robert Furlan previously served as a BAC secretary. A post in a BAC social media group said all BAC members had automatically been associate members of ESU Victoria since 2016. The branch disputes that account: it says the BAC's corporate membership and associated benefits ceased in 2016, 10 years ago, and that it has no current financial relationship with the group. It previously funded a BAC campaign opposing the renaming of places and monuments to recognise Indigenous heritage and sponsored the BAC's annual "Britfest" event.
Company records identify Frank Salter as the current BAC secretary. He co-founded the Australian National Alliance, an anti-immigration group, in the 1970s. In 2023, about three years ago, ESU Victoria announced a grant to Dr Salter for a publication titled "Collected essays on the national question". He didn't respond to questions.
The Charity Question
Deakin University extremism researcher Josh Roose said some branch activities risked crossing the line into funding political activism. "When you're platforming white nationalists ... there's a very, very thin line here as to what's acceptable and it certainly warrants further investigation," he said. He called for a thorough government review of the branch's aims and activities. "When a charity is being used and cloaked effectively in a certain language to allow it to use tax breaks ... at times to achieve a political purpose, then it's moved well beyond its remit," he said.
The global organisation works across 50 countries and began more than 100 years ago, founded by British journalist Sir Evelyn Wrench. He envisioned a world where a shared language could bridge cultural divides. ESU Victoria runs activities, many aimed at young people, including rhyming poetry competitions and public-speaking practice for schoolchildren.
Why This Matters:
Australian charities receive tax advantages in exchange for serving the public good. That bargain depends on trust. With a $16 million balance sheet, the stakes are real: when grants go to political publications, donors and taxpayers have every reason to ask whether the money serves the charity's stated mission. The national body's decision to investigate internally is the right first step, keeping scrutiny within the organisation instead of defaulting to new government mandates. But this episode shows why governance matters. Clear grant rules, separation from political groups, and transparent oversight protect both free expression and the charitable sector's credibility. If the review finds the branch strayed from its purpose, accountability should follow through existing structures. If it doesn't, the charity should say so publicly.