It was Ena Lemmon who, before leaving Bombay in February 1956 after her first meeting with Baba, had been encouraged by Meherjee to invite Baba to Australia. Ena was wildly enthusiastic about the idea, and when she returned to Australia on Baba's birthday, she spoke to Francis Brabazon and others about inviting him. While some felt it was not yet the right time, others were quite excited about the prospect of having the Ancient One "down under." Ena sent Baba a formal invitation, and a message came back that Baba had accepted the invitation and would visit Australia on his way back to India.
Mani described Francis Brabazon's reaction to formally inviting Baba to Australia in a letter to Ivy Duce on 4 June 1956:
Francis was rather upset over the idea of anyone from Australia "asking" Baba to visit there. He has deep understanding of Baba and his ways, and I just loved certain bits which I'll quote here:
"Is not Baba God? Has not this same God said to us, told us himself, not to ask him for anything, and that he will give us, each one, in his own time what he thinks fit to give? Has not he told us to give to him, that he is the One to take — that he will take from us until we have nothing left but God?"
About asking anything of Baba, Francis says: "... because he is not to be asked of, but is to be loved and served and given to, until one's whole life has become a living sacrifice to his dear Person ... I have further explained to everyone, not once but all the time, that I had observed that Baba in his great kindness often, if not usually, fell in with people's wishes, did what they wanted him to do, but this doing would not necessarily be the real doing. But when he himself did something or said something out of his own love or wish or want, then that doing or saying would be the real doing or saying."