Further history about some famous Masons

Australian Premiers

Lachlan Macquarie

Governor Macquarie was the 5th Governor of the colony but the first Governor to see the then colony of New South Wales as a nation, rather than a penal settlement.

He was responsible for much of the planning of infrastructure such as city planning (street planning), city buildings (hospitals and cathedrals), banks (The Bank of NSW) and other facilities necessary for a contemporary civilisation.

He enlisted the aid of a number of other Freemasons, one being Sir Francis Greenway to design many buildings still standing in Sydney today.

Sir Francis Greenway

Francis Howard Greenway (20 November 1777 – September 1837) was an English-born architect who was transported to Australia for the crime of forgery.

Greenway arrived in Sydney, New South Wales on the transport General Hewitt in February 1814 to serve his sentence. On board the ship was the surgeon Dr. John Harris who was to give Greenway his first private commission in the colony which involved extending his residence on his Ultimo estate.[2] Greenway first met Lachlan Macquarie in July 1814 to whom he had come recommended by Admiral Arthur Phillip. During the initial meeting Macquarie sought to test Greenway by asking him to copy a design of a town hall and courthouse from a pattern book. Greenway was so offended by this that he responded with a letter declaring his skills and quoting Sir William Chambers that his Excellency should utilise the opportunity for a classical design.

Australian Governors

Lachlan Macquarie (1762-1824), Governor of NSW “Served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales (1810 to 1821)and played a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony” Initiated January 1793 at Bombay, India in Lodge No1

Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs (1855–1948), Governor-General, Attorney-General, High Court Judge and politician. Elected to the first Federal Parliament of Australia. Initiated Antrim No 349 Irish Const, member of Australia Felix, First Grand Register(1889-1890) of UGLV.

Sir Ernest Clark (1864-1951), Governor of Tasmania, installed Grand Master of Tasmania in 1935.

Lord Huntingfield, William Charles Arcedeckne KCMG (1883-1969), Governor of Victoria (1931-1939). 14th Grand Master UGLV 1935-1939, Grand Master when Freemasons Hospital East Melbourne Opened. Initiated United Lodge # 1629 EC.

Sir Robert William Duff (1835-1895), Governor of NSW, Grand Master of NSW

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Robert Allingham George KBE (1896-1967), air force officer and Governor of South Australia

Major-General Sir Reginald Alexander Dallas Brooks KCB CMG DSO KStJ KCVO KCMG (1896-1966), Governor of Victoria, 19th Grand Master UGLV 1951-1963. Victoria's longest-serving Governor and Masonic Grand Master “was possibly the most popular Governor in Victoria's history” initiated in the Clarke Lodge # 98 on 6 February 1950 Dallas Brooks Hall 300 Albert St East Melb is named after him.

Sir John Northcott KCMG, CB, MVO, K.St. J (1890-1966). NSW State Governor & Grand Master.

Lord Somers, Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Herbert Tennyson Somers-Cocks KCMG, DSO, MC (1887-1944), Governor of Victoria, 12th Grand Master Victoria 1927-1932 Chief Scout of Victoria and succeeded Baden-Powell as Chief Scout of the British Commonwealth. Initiated Household Brigade Lodge.

George Edward John Mowbray Rous, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke CB CVO CBE KCMG ADC (1862-1947) KCMG CB CVO CBE VD TD (1862-1947), Soldier & Governor of Victoria(1920-?) Initiated Lodge of Prudence # 388 10th Grand Master UGLV 1922-1929.

Sir Charles Malcolm Barclay-Harvey (1890-1969), landowner and Governor of South Australia Grand Master SA 1941-1943.

Sir Neil Elliott Lewis, KCMG (1858 –1935) Lt Governor of Tasmania .

Lord Stonehaven, Major General Michael Jeffery, Governor General 1925-1930, Grand Master UGLNSW .

Major General Jefferies AC, CVO, MC.( 1937- ), Governor General of Western Australia (1993 –2002) and then Australia (2003–2008). Initiated in St George’s Lodge No 6 on 23 November 1994.

Sir Samuel J Way (1836-1916), South Australian Lt Governor, Grand Master South Australia 1884-.

Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey, South Australian Governor Grand Master South Australia 1941-1943.

Sir Robert George, South Australian Governor Grand Master South Australia 1956-1958.

Sir William Ellison-Macartney KCMG (1852-1924) Governor of Tasmania (1913-1917), Governor of Western Australia (1917-1920). Initiated Apollo University Lodge # 357 EC on 6 June 1872.

Sir Eric Neal, South Australian Governor.

Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GBE, PC (1868 - 1933) British statesman served as Governor of Queensland (1905–1909), Governor of New South Wales (1909 -1913). Viceroy of India. Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of NSW 1910-1913. Initiated on 1 June 1898 in Lodge of Amity # 137 EC.

Sir Gerard Smith KCMG (1839-1920), Governor of Western Australia (1895-1900) Initiated into Freemasonry on 4 May 1880 in the United Studholme Alliance Lodge # 1591 EC.

Lord Kintore, Algernon Hawkins Thogond Keith-Falconer (1852- 1930) Governor of South Australia and Grand Master South Australia 1889-1895.

Lord Carrington (1843-?), Governor of NSW and Grand Master NSW in 1888 to ? Initiated 28 October 1861 in Sir Isaac Newton Lodge # 859 EC
Sir Mellia Napier, Judge, Lt Governor , Grand Master of South Australia 1928-1930.

Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson (1843-1910), Admiral and Governor of NSW (1902-1909) “He promoted 'the ultimate formation of a separate navy' for Australia” Grand Master of United Grand Lodge of New South Wales (1905-09). Initiated in Royal Sussex Lodge # 501 EC in November.

Lord Brassey. Thomas Brassey KCB (1836-), first Governor of Victoria to be elected Grand Master (1896-1900) help found Volunteer Naval Reserves. Initiated Oxford University Lodge 1850. In Melbourne he joined the Clarke Lodge # 98 .

Sir John Goodwin KCB, CMG., DSO, Queensland Governor and Queensland Grand Master.

Lord Gowrie.

Sir Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven VC DSO with bar (1872-1955) Victoria Cross Winner, and Australia's longest serving Governor-General. Grand Master of NSW Initiated into Freemasonry at Lodge St Andrews Military Lodge No 668 on 15 March 1893.

Sir Leslie Wilson DSO GCIE GCSI. (1876-1955), Governor (1932-1946) and Grand Master of Queensland (1934-1946). Governor of Bombay (1923-28). initiated in Lodge Ionic # 65 NSWC on 17 January 1904.

Sir Victor Albert George Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey GCB, GCMG, PC, DL, JP (1845-1915), Governor of NSW, Grand Master UGLNSW (installed 1891) initiated into Apollo University Lodge # 357 EC, on 25 October 1865 affiliated with Lodge Ionic # 65 NSWC.

Lord Carmichael, Thomas Gibson Carmichael, GCSI KCMG (1859-1926) Governor Victoria (1908-?) Governor of Madras, India, Governor of Bengal. Grand Master UGLV 1909-1912. Initiated 1895 in Lodge Dramatic and Arts # 757 SC.

Sir Alexander James Peacock KCMG (1861-1933), Premier and member of fourteen ministries. Grand Master (1900-05) of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria

Sir George TurnerKCMG a privy counselor (1851-1916), Victoria's first Australian-born premier and Commonwealth Treasurer

Sir Harry Lawson, 27th Premier of Victoria, Scotch Collegians Lodge

Hon. Robert Stanley “Bob” Richards (1885-1967), 32nd Premier of South Australia

Sir Newton James Moore KCMG (1870-1936), WA Premier, soldier and businessman

Sir John William Evans (1855-1943), seaman, businessman and politician, Tasmanian Premier

Sir Samuel Walker Griffith KCMG (1845-1920), Chief Justice and Premier of Queensland (twice), Grand Master

George David Langridge (1829-1891) Victorian politician and public figure. Victorian Premier. “His public meetings at Collingwood were gala occasions: he never lost the common touch, and artisans and labourers mourned his death in impressive numbers.”

Thomas Price (1852-1909), premier & reformist

Sir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG (1908-1990), was the 38th and longest serving Premier of Victoria. Initiated into Lodge Meredith No 163 UGLV on the 9th of October 1946 where he remained a member until 1976.

Archibald Henry Peake (1859-1920), Premier of South Australia

Sir Robert Philp KCMG (1851-1922), businessman and Premier of Queensland,

Sir Thomas Playford, Premier of South Australia.

John Greeley Jenkins (1851-1923), 22nd Premier of South Australia.

Sir John Alexander Cockburn KCMG (1850-1929), 18th Premier of South Australia , Federationist and medical practitioner. Initiation in 1876, he would go on to help establish the Grand Lodge of South Australia, and to serve in several high offices within it.

William Forgan-Smith Premier of Queensland, was initiated into Prince Albert Lodge No 248 UGQLD.

William Alexander Watt (1871-1946) politician Premier of Victoria, Acting Prime Minister post WW1. initiated North Melbourne Lodge 2 Dec 1901