The Lodge that never was ...

Many will remember the story "We of the Never Never", a book about outback Australian life in 1902 by Mrs Aeneas (Jeannie Taylor) Gunn, published 1908. This was later made into a movie (1982)

Following are notes on the Lodge that never never was - Palmerston Lodge No. 698 S.C. of Port Darwin.

George Draffen's "Scottish Masonic Records: 1736-1950" states that a Warrant was issued by the Grand Lodge of Scotland on 7 August 1884, to meet at Port Darwin in North Australia. The new Palmerston Lodge was to be No. 698 in the Register of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

Draffen noted that "it is doubtful is this Lodge was ever erected. If it was, it lapsed soon after."

George Draffen (1910-86) was Depute Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland (1974-6) and Grand Librarian of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

Is there any record or knowledge of Palmerston Lodge in Darwin or in Adelaide?

Proposals for the new Lodge would have been overtaken by the creation of the Grand Lodge of South Australia in April 1884.  At that time the Northern Territory was part of South Australia.

HCE Muecke, who was RW Provincial Grand Master of the Scottish Constitution in SA until April 1884, resigned from that Office just before participating as Installing Grand Master at the foundation of the new Grand Lodge - he installed SJ Way as Grand Master in 1884 and again in 1909 on the 25th anniversary of the Grand Lodge.

The records of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Scotland in South Australia were apparently lost - perhaps during transfer back to Scotland? Could the Warrant of the proposed new Palmerston Lodge have been sent to Adelaide, and returned to Scotland by Muecke?

The Port Darwin Lodge No.41 first met on 6 May 1896, with 18 Freemasons present. At that time Darwin was known as Palmerston (the name changed to Darwin in 1911). The Lodge acquired a block of land in Mitchell Street in September 1896; Darwin's first Masonic building was erected by 1901.

Updated 5 May 2007: Bro. Len Greenwood has advised:

"the first lodge in Darwin - The Port Darwin Lodge - first officially met in May 1896 at the Victoria Hotel (the warrant was issued in February 1896 but then came by ship to Darwin). Port Darwin moved to Mitchell St (near where the Darwin Hotel used to be) in late 1900 or early 1901 where they stayed until the move to Stokes St in 1962."

Adelaide street names and Freemasons

The British settlement of South Australia commenced in 1836, and was to be according to the Wakefield scheme of systematic colonisation. The new colony had been some six years in the planning. Part of the planning included the establishment of Freemasonry. In 1834 the South Australian Lodge of Friendship was formed in London, meeting in the offices of the South Australian Association at the Adelphi. Membership was restricted to intending colonists.

Two months after the first land sales, a committee met in Adelaide on 23 May 1837, and gave names to 63 streets and squares laid out on the surveyor's map. Many of the names were those of founders, friends or promoters of the new colony. Some were Freemasons.

A list of the streets named in May 1837 is given at
http://www.historysouthaustralia.net/SThome.htm

George Strickland Kingston was a founding member of the SA Lodge of Friendship in 1834, and served as acting Provincial Grand Master 1852-4.  Kingston Terrace in North Adelaide is named for him.

The first initiates of the SA Lodge of Friendship in October 1834 were John Morphett, Richard D Hanson, Thomas Gilbert, Robert Gouger, and Daniel Wakefield. Each had a city street named in his honour. Hanson Street disappeared when Pulteney Street was extended to South Terrace.

Charles Mann arrived in 1837 and was first Advocate-General and Crown Solicitor of SA. Mann Terrace in North Adelaide was named for him. He was initiated in SA Lodge of Friendship in Adelaide, in 1838, along with BT Finnis for whom Finnis Street was named. Finnis became first Premier of SA in 1857.

King William Street was named for King William IV, who became a Freemason in 1786. During his reign he was Grand Patron of Freemasonry, and his wife Queen Adelaide was Patroness.

Wellington Square was named for the Duke of Wellington, victorious at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and later British Prime Minister, who secured the passage of the Act establishing SA. He was initiated in Ireland in 1790; his membership lapsed in 1795.

Tynte Street was named for Col. Charles John Kemeys-Tynte MP, who never came to South Australia. He was a leading Freemason in Wales, serving as Provincial Grand Master of Monmouthshire 1831-1863. His father was Grand Master of the English Masonic Knight Templars from 1846. The Kemeys-Tynte family had connections with Philip, Duke of Wharton, Grand Master of England 1722-3 and of France 1729-31.

O'Connell Street was named for the famous Irish lawyer and politician Daniel O'Connell who became a Freemason in Ireland about 1797, resigning in the 1820's.