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."