The Tully family’s farm in West Belconnen hosted religious sessions, home schooling, home birthing classes and mother’s groups for more than a decade. Parents would often bring their children to the property, which consisted of a rammed-earth house, cottages, wool and hay sheds, and other buildings.

Cameron Flynn Tully, 41, is accused of abusing eight young girls as young as four at the property from 1991 to 2002. His trial entered its second day in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday, hearing evidence from the first of eight complainants.

The woman, now an adult, spoke of being molested three times by Mr Tully when she was a child.

She recalled Mr Tully walking up to where she lay as she tried to sleep one night in a library at the property. She said she kept her eyes closed as Mr Tully got into the fold-out bed and molested her.

The court heard evidence of another occasion, when she said she and another girl were sitting either side of Mr Tully. She alleged he grabbed her hand and made her touch him inappropriately, and said she thought she saw him do the same with the other girl.

The woman also remembers Mr Tully taking her into a bathroom and sexually abusing her.

''We could hear [name removed] calling out outside ... he put his hand to my mouth and told me to shush,'' she said. ''He listened at the door before opening it and told me to go outside and play.''

In cross-examination, Mr Tully’s barrister Ray Livingston quizzed her about why she had never told anyone of the allegations, particularly the girl sitting on the other side of Mr Tully during one of the alleged acts.

She said she did not remember, prompting Mr Livingston to suggest it was because none of what she had alleged had ever occurred.

''It did happen, but I’m not sure why we didn’t talk about it,'' she responded.

''The general rule was that you just did what you were told in that house by people older. You didn’t argue.''

The woman was unable to say how old she was when the acts occurred, or put them in any order.

She was questioned about her ongoing contact with the Tully family, including going to the accused’s wedding, and asking him for help with a job application.

The woman maintained contact with the family until the week prior to Mr Tully’s arrest.

Mr Livingston also pointed out discrepancies in her evidence compared to what she had told police in 2011.

Later on Tuesday, the court heard from two of the complainant's school friends.

Each told the court their friend had spoken of being sexually abused.

The trial continues on Wednesday before Justice John Burns.