The history of Mandala is long, complex and may be told in many versions. This is the briefest of sketches.
In 1975, three people searched Australia for a place to start a "Community". They found a run-down farm in a picturesque valley in SE Queensland, then advertised and sold fifteen shareholdings at $4,000 each in order to buy the land, some equipment and provide start-up capital for the land owning company Mandala Pty Ltd.
Mandala was one of a large number of land sharing, multiple occupancy ventures started in Australia during that era when many were dubbed "hippy communes". Most collapsed within a few years, but Mandala survived its initial period of chaos resulting from inter-personal conflict and poor organisation. After many reforms started in the 1980's, the company and community are now thriving.
Four surviving founding members still hold shares.