South Australian Lodge of Friendship No. 613
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The Province of South Australia was established by an Act of the British Parliament and was assented to by King William IV on 15 August 1834. Freemasonry became included in the plans for the proposed new settlement with the establishment of a new Lodge in England. On October 22, 1834, the South Australian Lodge of Friendship, No 613 E.C., was consecrated and met in London for the first time.
South Australia became a legal and political entity on 19 February 1836 when Letters Patent proclaiming its boundaries were officially sealed. The first ships carrying colonists for the new settlement left England that same month, arriving in July. The establishment of the Province was proclaimed in South Australia on the 28 December 1836. On one of those ships was Brother GS Kingston who carried The Lodge Warrant or Charter and later presented it at the first meeting of the Lodge in the new colony of South Australia.
Those first colonists arriving in South Australia in 1836 lived in tents or portable dwellings until permanent structures were erected and was reason the Lodge did not hold its first meeting in the colony until 1838.
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[edit] Warrant
The Warrant constituting the Lodge read as follows:
Augustus B, GM
To all and every, our Right Worshipful, Worshipful, and Loving Brethren
We, Prince Augustus Frederick of Brunswick, Lunenburgh, Duke of Sussex, Earl of Inverness, Baron of Arklow, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, KT, &c &c &c, Grand Master of the Most Antient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of England,
Send Greeting
Know Ye that we, by the authority and under the sanction of the United Grand Lodge of England, vested in us for that purpose, and at the humble Petition of our Right Trusty and Well Beloved Brethren, Joseph Francis Taylor, George Strickland Kingston, Captain Walter Meriton, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Walker, EY Hancock, James Jackson, and David Doig, do hereby constitute the said Brethren into a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, under the Title or Denomination of The South Australian Lodge of Friendship, No. 613, E.C.
The said Lodge to meet at the Capital of the Province of South Australia on the First Monday in every Month, and empowering them in the said Lodge, when duly congregated, to make, pass, and raise Freemasons according to the ancient custom of the Craft in all ages and nations throughout the known world. AND FURTHER, at their said petition, and of the great trust and confidence reposed in every of the above-named Brethren, we do appoint the said Joseph Francis Taylor to be the First Master, the said George Strickland Kingston to be the First Senior Warden, and the said Captain Walter Meriton to be the First Junior Warden for opening and holding the said Lodge, and until such time as another Master shall be regularly elected and installed, strictly charging that every Member who shall be elected to preside over the said Lodge shall be installed in ancient form and according to the laws of the Grand Lodge, that he may thereby be fully invested with the dignities and powers of his office. And we do require you, the said Joseph Francis Taylor, to take special care that all and every the said Brethren are or have been regularly made Masons, and that you and they and all other the Members of the said Lodge, do observe, perform, and keep the laws, rules, and orders contained in the Book of Constitutions, and all others which may from time to time be made by our Grand Lodge or transmitted by us or our successors Grand Masters or by our Deputy Grand Master for the time being. And we do enjoin you to make such By-Laws for the government of your Lodge as shall to the majority of the Members appear proper and necessary, the same not being contrary to or inconsistent with the General Laws and Regulations of the Craft, a copy whereof you are to transmit to us. And we do require you to cause all such By-Laws and Regulations, and also an Account of the Proceedings in your Lodge to be entered in a book to be kept for that purpose. And you are in no wise to omit to send to us or our successors Grand Masters, or to The Right Honorable John George, Earl of Durham, &c &c &c, our Deputy Grand Master, or to the Deputy Grand Master for the time being, at least once in every year, a list of the Members of your Lodge and the names and descriptions of all Masons initiated therein and Brethren who shall have joined the same, with the fees and moneys payable thereon, it being our will and intention that this our Warrant of Constitution shall continue in force so long only as you shall conform to the Laws and Regulations of our Grand Lodge. And you the said Joseph Francis Taylor are further required as soon as conveniently may be to send to us an account in writing of what shall be done by virtue of these presents.
Given under our hands and the seal of the Grand Lodge at London this 22nd day of October, AL 5834, AD 1834.
By command of the MW Grand Master, DURHAM, DGM William H White, GS Edw. Harper
[Endorsement]
To all and every, our Right Worshipful, Worshipful, and Loving Brethren
Whereas the within-named brethren, together with others of the Craft who are to compose the within-named Lodge upon their arrival in South Australia, are desirous of opening the Lodge in London prior to their departure, and several individuals not yet Masons who are about to proceed with the colony are anxious to be initiated in the said Lodge before their departure, the Brethren named in the Warrant have petitioned the MW Grand Master to permit them to open and hold the Lodge at the house No. 7, John-street, Adelphi, London, for the purpose of installing the Master, and investing the several other officers, and also to initiate into the mysteries of the Craft such individuals who are about to proceed to South Australia, and in due course to pass and raise them.
Now know ye that the MW Grand Master being willing to accede to the said request, the brethren within-named are accordingly authorized to open and hold the said Lodge in London for the objects and purposes aforesaid, and to transact all such matters and business in London as may be necessary for the purposes of the said Lodge. Provided nevertheless that they shall not initiate into the Craft, nor pass or raise any individual whomsoever, unless he be one of the parties actually intending to proceed with the colony as settlers in South Australia. And it is particularly directed and ordered that a return of all persons so initiated, passed, or raised, shall be made for registry in the books of our Grand Lodge, and all fees and payments duly made thereon previous to the departure of the brethren, such fees to be the same as will be payable upon the initiation of Brethren in South Australia. And for so doing this shall be a sufficient warrant.
Given under our hand and seal of our Grand Lodge this 22nd day of October, AD 1834
By command of the MW Grand Master, DURHAM, Dep GM William H White, GSecs Edw. Harper
[edit] Meetings in London
As authorized the Lodge held its first meeting at 7 John Street, Adelphi, London on 22 October 1834. Those present were Bros. WH White and Edward Harper, Grand Secretaries, Bro. Francis Crew, WM No. 1 Lodge, Bro. Richard H Giran, WM of a Lodge not given, Bros. Geo. Aaron, Chas. Mawley, Arthur Hardy, JF Taylor, GS Kingston, Col. Leslie Walker, B Breakfit, and R Doig.
After the Lodge had been opened by Bro WH White, VW Grand Secretary (acting as WM), the usual petition for forming a new Lodge was read, to which the seven following brethren promised obedience:
Joseph Francis Taylor - Old King's Arms Lodge No.30, G.Master's Lodge No.1 and Hereford Lodge No. 578 GS Kingston, Irish Lodge No 81 Capt. Walter Meriton - Phoenix Lodge, Portsmouth, No.375, & Lodge 227 of the 46th Regiment, RA and KM Col. Leslie Walker, CA CB and KH, of Bombay Lodge EG Hancock - Lodge 259 Romford Lieut. Jackson - Renford Lodge, Sutta, also of the 94th Regiment Lodge, and R Doig - Lodge 24, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Bro. Joseph Francis Taylor was installed as first Master, and he appointed and invested Bro. GS Kingston as first Senior Warden, and Bro. Col. Leslie Walker as first Junior Warden.
The following were then elected and initiated into Masonry at this meeting: John Morphett, RD Hanson, Thomas Gilbert, Robt. Gouger, and Daniel Wakefield.
The second meeting of the Lodge was held at the same place in London on 2 March 1835. Bro. A Hardy was appointed Inner Guard and Bros. Morphett, Hanson and Gilbert were passed to the Second Degree.
[edit] South Australia
The Lodge Warrant or Charter was brought to South Australia by Bro. GS Kingston, who presented the Warrant at the first meeting held in South Australia, the third meeting of the Lodge. This meeting took place in Adelaide on 11 August 1838 at the Assembly Rooms, Black's Hotel, Franklin Street (later the site of Rosetta Terrace). Bro H Mildred PM presided, and the nine other brethren present were PMs EB Gleeson, Gordon, Allen and J Gleeson, the SW Bro. GS Kingston, and Bros. Beare, Morphett, Gilbert and Solomon. Bro. Morphett was raised to the degree of MM and Bro GS Kingston was nominated for the office of Master. Three days later a Lodge of Emergency was called on 14 August, when Bro. Kingston was installed as Master.
The fifth meeting of the Lodge was in November 1838. It seems this meeting was held at the Turf Hotel in Waymouth Street. Mr Chas. Mann (lawyer) and Mr Chas. Berkeley (gentleman) were elected and initiated. Capt. Finnis was elected and initiated at the following meeting.
For the first few years Bros. Kingston and Mildred alternated as Master of the Lodge.
Several notable events occurred in 1841. First, a notice appeared in the newspaper the South Australian Register of 31 March 1841 as follows:
- The Free and Accepted Masons of the SA Lodge of Friendship No.613 are about to bespeak an evening's entertainment at the Theatre for the benefit of the Hospital. The Masons will appear in their Masonic costumes, and the ladies of their families will wear light blue ribands and aprons, so that the house will have a very novel and imposing appearance, and it is hoped that it may prove a benefit, to enable the members to present a very handsome donation to that very valuable institution.
The evening of entertainment took place on Tuesday 13 April 1841. There was a crowded house. The handsome sum of £30/3/0 was raised for the benefit of the Adelaide Hospital. The second notable event of 1841 occurred in August. His Excellency the Governor of South Australia, Bro. George Grey, a member of Irish Military Lodge No.83, was elected a joining member of the Lodge of Friendship.
St John's Day, 27th December, was celebrated in 1842 by a dinner held at the Shakespeare Tavern from 5 o'clock. All Freemasons were invited to attend, tickets priced at 7s. 6d. each, including half a bottle of wine.
The Lodge changed meeting place in 1843, to Lambert's auction room, Hindley Street.
[edit] New lodges
1844 proved a busy year for the Lodge. On 31 January the Lodge met at the rear of the Freemason's Tavern in Pirie Street. Bro. E Solomon generously offered the Lodge a quarter of an acre of land for Masonic purposes and 10,000 bricks with which to build a Lodge room (it is not known whether a room was built or not). At this meeting it was reported that seven Scottish Masons had attempted to form a Lodge (to be called the Adelaide St John's Lodge) in a manner which it was stated was contrary to the usages of the Craft, and had initiated twenty new members. The Lodge of Friendship proposed a way out of a difficult situation by accepting a petition from the seven members of the new Lodge, and the following day, 1 February 1844, met again, this time at the Port Lincoln Hotel in Adelaide, to consecrate the new Lodge which later obtained a Warrant from the Grand Lodge of Scotland. On 3 February the two Lodges together laid the foundation stone of a Scottish Church in Grenfell Street. Several days later, on 6 February 1844, several brethren petitioned the Lodge of Friendship for a Dispensation to form a new Lodge under the English Constitution, to be called the Lodge of Harmony. The new Lodge was consecrated on 9 February, eight days after the Adelaide St John's Lodge. The final major happening was on 20 November 1844 when a Memorial was sent to the MW Grand Master of England, requesting the appointment of a Provincial Grand Lodge in South Australia and recommending Bro. Mildred as first Prov. Grand Master.
It can be seen that in the first ten years of its existence the South Australian Lodge of Friendship No. 613 had some notable achievements to its credit. After its foundation in London, the Lodge had removed to a small fledgling settlement on the opposite side of the globe, attracted new members, and contributed to the new society by promoting charity and assisting in the formation of two new Lodges.
In 1884 the Lodge of Friendship, along with other Lodges that had become warranted in South Australia co-operated to form the Grand Lodge of South Australia with the Lodge of Friendship returning its original warrant and becoming the Lodge of Friendship No.1 under the new Grand Lodge.
The Lodge of Friendship No.1 still exists in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia and has operated continuously since those early days.
