Grand Lodge Of New South Wales

Grand Lodge of New South Wales

• "pHERE are now live Grand Lodges in the Commonj ^ wealth of Australia , the lirst being that of SOUTH AUSTRALIA , formed 16 th April , 188 4 , the Grand Master being the Rt . Hon . Chief Justice Sir Samuel Way , Bart ., P . G . W . of England . The second to be constituted was the one for NEW SOUTH WALKShaving the M . W . Bro . John

, Cochrane Remington as Grand Master ( the portrait of Colonel Remington , M . W . 'J . M ., is reproduced from the admirable Masonic guide of New South Wales ) , dating from the 16 th August , 1888 , that of VICTORIA being the third , of 20 th March , 188 9 with M . W . Bro . Sir Alexander James Peacock ,

, K . C . M . G ., as its Grand Master , followed by WESTERN AUSTRALIA in 1900 , of which M . W . Bro . Sir John Winthrop Hackett , LL . D ., is Grand 'Master ; the fifth and last being TASMANIA of the 26 th June , 1890 , the M . W . Bro . the Hon . Charles Ellis Davies , Grand Master .

COLONEL REMINGTON , M . W . G . M . NEW SOUTH WALES . The " United Grand Lodge of New South Wales" was formed as the result of careful deliberations extending over a long period , the combined organization consisting of about 180 lodges , previously under the Grand Lodges of England ,

Ireland and Scotland , or the temporary Grand Lodge of New South Wales of A . D . 1877 . Extraordinary means were taken to promote unanimity , even the first officers of the Grand Lodge being selected by the members of the three bodies concerned ( two of which had long been active in the

colony or province ) on a fair representative basis . Thus ended the difficulties that had been created by the unwise starting of a Grand Lodge by a small minority of lodges , and thus also ended that unfortunate rivalry which had been , more or less , in evidence during the previous ten years .

At the present time the only lodge on the roll of a Grand Lodge , other than that of New South Wales , is the " Cambrian of Australia , " No . 656 , Sydney , which was warranted in the year 18 55 , and still favours the old Country .

It has been the usage of the Grand Lodge of England from the time of chartering of lodges out of this Country to now , that on a Grand Lodge being instituted , say in one of the Colonies , that till the lodges therein must be free to join the new organization or remain on our own roll as heretofore .

On this condition recognition has followed every application where the new body has had the support of the great majority of the lodges interested the result being that

generally all , or nearly all , have joined such new bodies , and peace and harmony have prevailed to the common advantage of the Craft locally and generally . These Grand Lodges of South Australia , New South Wales , Victoria and Tasmania , have the honour of heading their lists of Grand Officers with his Majesty KING EDWARD

VII . as PATRON , and probably when the difficulties in Western Australia are amicably adjusted as to the Scottish Lodges , that organization will be graciously complimented in the same manner by the Sovereign of the British Empire . Some 90 lodges had been warranted by the Grand Lodge

of England in New South Wales from 1828 to 1888 , a period of sixty years , the last to be constituted , No . 2276 , the " Barrier , " BROKEN HILL , being in the same year as witnessed the inauguration of the present prosperous Grand Lodge , and on whose roll this lodge is now numbered 173 . The

lodges for the end of 1903 muster close on 200 , with a membership of considerably over 9000 . Colonel J . C . Remington , M . W . G . M ., delivered an eloquent and remarkable oration at his installation in 1903 . It seems that the " Dawn of Freemasonry" occurred in 1803 , as

respects the Craft in New South Wales , as well as in Australia , for in that year" A number of Masons meeting at the house of Sergt . Whittell , in Sydney , New South Wales , were arrested , and after serious report were discharged , as having no wilful intention to disturb the peace . "

A few years later several lodges assembled in the Colony in connection with regiments , and in 1816 the Lodge of "Social and Military Virtues , " No . 227 , of Ireland , held regular meetings in Sydney , no doubt initiating several of the inhabitants . As an outcome of this Masonic mission and on the recommendation of No . 227 , the Grand'Lodge of Ireland

granted a charter for the " Australian Social , " No . 260 , for Sydney , which is now the mother lodge of the Grand Lodge , and is at the head of the roll , as it should be . The second on the register is the " Leinster Marine , " assembling in the same city , and was started in 1824 as No . 266 , by Ireland ;

also a Provincial Grand Master was appointed for Australia , in the person of the R . W . Bro . Mathew Bacon . The third on the register is the " Australia " of English origin in 1828 , when it was No . 820 , which it changed for 54 8 in 1832 , and 390 in 1863 . This is the premier English

lodge of Australia , and enjoys with only one other lodge the distinction of a Jubilee Medal , authorized by the Grand Master of England in 1878 . There have been a large number of centenary jewel warrants issued since , but only two for jubilee commemorations have ever been permitted .

The " Unity , " No . 4 , was started in Maitland ( originally called West Maitland ) in 1840 , but was not on the English register until 18 47 as No . 804 , becoming 547 in 186 3 . The next established by the same Grand Lodge was the " Harmony , " now No . 5 , of 1847-8 , then No . 814 , but

subsequently 55 6 . Its longer name was the " Australian Lodge of Harmony , " and it has always assembled in Sydney .

The next to be chartered was the " Unity" of A . D . 1851 , also of the G . L . of England , first being No . 865 and then 595 , the No . 6 being allotted to it on joining the new Grand Lodge in 1888 , and its place of meeting is , and has been , at ARMITAGE .

The lirst to be authorized by the Grand Lodge of Scotland was the " Lodge Sydney St . Andrew , " at Sydney , in 1851 , but Scottish Freemasonry had a footing in Australia eight years earlier at Melbourne . The " St . Andrew " was numbered 358 originally , but No . 7 under the new constitution ; the

Sth on the present register being the " Independent" at Bathurst , No . 904 on the roll of England in 1853 , but transferred to Lithgow thirty years later , becoming 621 in 1863 . The 9 th in order of precedence is the " Zetland of Australia , "'