Historic Aussie Lodge

This from the North Shore Times, Australia...

THE Balmain Masonic Lodge is in Willoughby. But when the 90 members of the freemasons lodge celebrate its 150th anniversary this month they will revisit their inner-harbour Balmain roots.
They'll also celebrate with a reconsecration ceremony and banquet on Saturday.
The lodge was founded by a shipwright at Balmain in 1859 when sailing was the only way to cross the Pacific.
About 40 sea captains have been members and even now membership includes a shipwright and navy personnel.
When the lodge meets each month members toast their seafaring forbears, ring a bell from an old ship, Westralia, and sing a seafaring ditty.
Four of the NSW/ACT freemasons former grand masters (the highest order) were from the Balmain lodge, including grand master Robert Hammond.
Mr Hammond, a retired wool buyer, has been a freemason since 1945.
``You need time to be a grand master, it's a full-time job,'' said the octogenarian, grand master from 1969 to 1972.
Jason Plumridge, who will become the lodge's 150th master in July, said freemasonry was an ``order of men who prize honour above other things''.
Retired banker Ian Jarratt, of Umina Beach, is the lodge's director of ceremonies.
``People think the freemasons are a secret society, but anybody can find out about freemasonry through the internet and books and so on,'' he said.
``There are things that are secret to masons, parts of the rituals are for masons only, they are little idiosyncrasies which identify if someone is a mason or not.
``The formal meetings are only for males. Women are invited to social activities and open discussions. This is based on the history when masons or workmen were men only. It's stayed that way.''
While the freemasons are not a religious order, members are required to believe in a supreme being.
New members are rigorously screened. ``If someone had a criminal record or if they beat their wife they'd be excluded,'' Mr Jarratt said.
The order of freemasons has rituals which date back to the early 17th century. Mr Plumridge said the order had its roots during the building of King Solomon's temple.