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Governance
and Administration of Freemasonry in South Australia and Northern Territory |
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| Some
information about South Australia and Northern Territory
The
combined
area of South Australia and Northern Territory is 2.3 million sq.
kilometres
(about 0.9 million sq. miles) which is 30% of the area of
Australia.
The population is about 1.7 million, having increased from 390,633 in
1901
and an estimated indigenous population of 77,000 in 1801. Northern Territory was annexed to South Australia in 1863 after the first successful return journey from Adelaide to the northern coast of Australia by the explorer Bro. John McDouall Stuart in 1862. The Northern Territory was thus included in the jurisdictional area of the Grand Lodge of South Australia when it was formed in 1884, but no Masonic lodge existed in the north until Port Darwin Lodge No. 41 was founded at Palmerston on 6 May 1896. In 1911 political administration of the Northern Territory passed to the national government of Australia, but administration of Freemasonry remained with the Grand Lodge based in Adelaide. During the 1990's the title of the Grand Lodge was altered to include reference to Northern Territory. Further
information
about the history and development of Freemasonry in South Australia and
Northern Territory may be found in the history
section of this website. Grand Lodge Freemasonry in South Australia and Northern Territory is governed by and under the control of the Grand Lodge of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of South Australia and Northern Territory Inc. The Grand Lodge consists of the Grand Master (who has the right to preside over all meetings), current Grand Officers, past Grand Officers and current Grand Stewards (members of constituent lodges), current Masters and Wardens of constituent Lodges, all Past Masters and Master Masons being members of a constituent Lodge, and any other Freemason appointed by the Grand Master or elected by Grand Lodge as a member of Grand Lodge. Subject to the ample power and authority of the Grand Master, Grand Lodge exercises supreme jurisdiction over the association comprising those Freemasons who are subscribing or honorary members of constituent lodges. The Grand Lodge has sovereign power and is not answerable or responsible to any other Masonic body. The structures, proceedings and management of the Grand Lodge are conducted in accordance with its written Constitutions and Regulations. The
Grand Lodge
usually meets for Communication twice each year, in April and
in
October. On rare occasions a Special Communication may be called
for a specific purpose. An annual Conference is held each October, for discussion of matters of interest to the members of Grand Lodge and of constituent lodges. Each Lodge has one vote. The Conference is a deliberative body. Conference decisions are submitted to the Board of Management of Grand Lodge for consideration and carrying into effect. Constituent Lodges A Lodge is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry, comprised of members who gather together in meetings chaired by a Master assisted by two Wardens. Each Lodge meets in private and selects suitable persons for membership according to the Regulations of the Grand Lodge, by authority of a written charter or Warrant granted by the Grand Master. A person becomes a Freemason and a member by means of ceremonies conducted within a Lodge. These ceremonies are conducted in accordance with long established customs and usages of Freemasonry and otherwise as determined by the Grand Lodge. Each Lodge is led and governed by a Master assisted by the Wardens and certain other ceremonial and administrative officers who include a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Care Officer (formerly known as an Almoner ). The Master is elected by the members of the Lodge for a term of one year, and assumes his Office after being formally installed into the Chair according to ancient custom. Except when the Grand Master or his representative is present, the Master has the right as well as the responsibility to preside over meetings of his Lodge. The affairs of constituent lodges are conducted in accordance with their By-Laws, subject to the Constitutions, Regulations and Procedures of the Grand Lodge. The Master and Wardens of each Lodge have the right and duty to attend and vote at meetings ("Communications") of the Grand Lodge. <>Grand Master The Grand Master has the right to preside at any meeting of the Grand Lodge, and to exercise a deliberative and a casting vote. He has extensive powers including the right to appoint Officers of Grand Lodge, aided by advice from an Appointments Committee. He is provided with advice on other matters by an Advisory Committee. A
candidate
for the Office of Grand Master is nominated by the members of Grand
Lodge.
The Grand Master is elected by the members of Grand Lodge. He may
serve for no more than four annual terms. Grand Officers Grand
Officers
have a variety of roles and responsibilities, ranging from
administrative
to ceremonial. No person may hold more than one office within the
Grand Lodge. Candidates for Junior Grand Office (ceremonial
officers
below the rank of Grand Deacon) are nominated by constituent lodges for
selection at District level, being appointed to particular Grand
Offices
by the Grand Master. More senior ceremonial Grand Officers and
those
Grand Officers with administrative responsibilities are appointed by
the
Grand Master. In making appointments the Grand Master is
assisted
by advice from the Appointments Committee.
Grand Stewards A
Grand Steward
may be selected for this appointment according to the Regulations by
the
constituent lodge of which he is a member, or nominated for appointment
by the Grand Master. Grand Stewards are appointed for one
year.
Their duties are to assist in conducting the arrangements for meetings,
festivals and banquets of Grand Lodge, and at installation meetings of
constituent lodges. Board of Management The body responsible for administering the affairs of the Grand Lodge between meetings (termed "Communications") of the Grand Lodge. Until April 2003 this was known as the Board of General Purposes. The Board meets monthly and is chaired by the President. The Board is comprised of the following members:
Following is an organisation chart for
the Grand Lodge: 
Grand Secretary The
Grand Secretary is the Chief
Executive
Officer of the Grand Lodge and responsible
to the President of the Board of Management. He attends meetings
of the Grand Lodge and of the Board of Management. Contact details are given at the foot of this page. Committees The Grand Master and the Board of Management are assisted by various committees which include:
Districts Constituent
lodges are grouped together in Districts, each presided over by a District
Grand Superintendent who is appointed by the Grand Master and
responsible
to the Grand Master through the Grand Superintendent. The
distribution
of Districts and lodges can be reviewed elsewhere
on this web site. The Purpose of Freemasonry Freemasonry is a fraternity which teaches members a code of ethics and a system of moral philosophy by means of a progression of ceremonies based on the work practices and tools of stone masons. Members are encouraged to practise the moral and civic virtues, to uphold the principles of brotherly love, relief and truth, to live in a manner pleasing to God and of service to others, and to recognise that each individual has responsibilities towards God, himself and wider society (which includes the nation and his fellow man). Fraternalism is encouraged in various ways during lodge and social activities, and promoted by banning discussion of religion or politics. Freemasons may have differing attributes, abilities and skills yet all are considered equal in status within the Lodge and before God. Further information can be found in another section of this web site - please see Introduction. A
Grand
Lodge assists its constituent lodges and members by providing guidance,
advice and help on ceremonial and administrative matters, by
coordinating
educational, benevolent and charitable activities, and by training
members
to be better and more effective leaders, carers and contributors to the
communities in which they live, both as members of a team and as
individuals. Customs and Secrets of Freemasonry The
so-called
secrets of Freemasonry consist of certain handshakes, words and
gestures
which have been used since the days when stonemasons travelled from
place
to place to engage in work. Stonemasons had a need to be able to
recognise quickly differing grades of skills possessed by apprentices,
fellowcraft or master masons. By these private means travelling
stonemasons
were enabled to share work and shelter and to help one another in
practical
ways through membership of a lodge. The itinerant nature of their
employment resulted in wide dissemination of various habitual practices
and customs of stonemasons. Subsequently persons other than
stonemasons
began to join lodges as so-called accepted masons. The first
Grand
Lodge of Freemasons originated in a combined meeting of four London
lodges
in 1717, with membership including operative (practical or
working)
masons as well as accepted (speculative, philosophical or
social)
masons. Seeking national and worldwide fraternity Various
forms of Freemasonry are now found in many different parts of the
world.
Different national traditions or locations have developed their own
Grand
Lodges. Where they have sufficient customs and practices in
common
the various Grand Lodges may feel able to recognise each other and thus
permit intervisitation of members. The Grand Lodge of South
Australia and Northern Territory has approved for intervisitation more
than 120 other jurisdictions within and outside Australia. Fraternal
Relations with other Grand Lodges are included in the responsibilities
of the Grand Master, advised and assisted by a Fraternal Relations
Officer. Many other Grand Lodges have appointed members of this
Grand Lodge to represent them at the Grand Lodge. Similarly our
Grand Lodge has appointed local representatives at many other Grand
Lodges. When
a new Grand Master is installed into Office, the occasion is attended
by Grand Masters and brethren from the other jurisdictions of
Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, affording opportunities for
establishing friendships beyond this jurisdiction. Contacting the Grand Lodge and the Grand Master
04.03
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The
most
northern part of the Northern Territory is over 3000 km from the most
southerly
part of South Australia, a span of more than twenty seven degrees of
latitude
and greater than the distance between Moscow and Cairo, or between
Canada
and Mexico City. From south to north the climate ranges from cool
temperate to Mediterranean, arid and tropical.
Postal address: 
Email: 
Phone: 08 8233 1633 
Fax: 08 8224 0755 