History of the Lodges in Bendigo

On the 3rd October 1854, a group of men met at the Criterion Hotel to install the first Master and of the Golden Lodge of Bendigo and invest the officers.  
On the 3rd October 2004, the lodges of Bendigo celebrated their sesqui-centenary with a parade up View Street to the Capital Arts Centre and a public re-enactment by the Victorian Grand Master of the ceremony of consecrating a new lodge.

In the 150 years between, Freemasonry has been one of the most abiding and consistent social institutions in Bendigo, reflecting so much of the history and development of the community.  The growth of population, services and industries, the upheavals of wars and depressions, all the trials and triumphs of people living their lives, can be seen in the evolution of the lodges.

These short essays give an overview of the early history of Freemasonry in Bendigo.  Much more detail is available in the book Gold and Blue, written to celebrate the sesqui-centenary.

Formation of the Lodge    The View Street temple    WC Vahland    Sir John Quick

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These pages are designed by David Beagley for the Hall Board of the Bendigo Masonic Centre.
Responsibility for, and copyright of, content (unless otherwise noted) are his and his alone.

Last updated November 2005