GRAND LODGE
OF ANTIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF
SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND NORTHERN TERRITORY

 Freemasonry in South Australia and Northern Territory


 
A Freemason's grave on Norfolk Island
grave of George Hales

photograph courtesy of  Sue Wyatt
The gravestone, of George Hales, dates from 1801.  It depicts various Masonic symbols including an open book below a square and compasses, all placed between two pillars surmounted by an arch.  A keystone is placed at the top of the arch. 

This is thought to be the oldest such gravestone in Australia and the SW Pacific region.
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On 16 August 1801 George Hales died aged 47 years on Norfolk Island in the South West Pacific Ocean after being brought ashore sick. He was commander of the whaling ship "General Boyd" which was in Sydney Harbour in June 1801.  
map

The "General Boyd" of 302 tons was one of the first whaling vessels in the SW Pacific.  It was constructed in 1776 in Philadelphia.  Lloyds Register of British and Foreign Shipping states that during 1801-3 the owners were Sansom and Co.


George Hales was made a Freemason on 24 December 1789 in the Dundee Arms Lodge No.9 which met in Wapping, London for many years (1739-1821).   This lodge was originally constituted 27 March 1723.
20 Red Lion St Wapping
 "making room"
Lodge meeting place 1763-1820
20 Red Lion Street, Wapping, London
 The "Making Room" of Old Dundee Lodge 1763-1820
Perhaps 2000 men were 'made Masons' in this room
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photos from book "Ancient Freemasonry and the Old Dundee Lodge No.18, 1722-1920"
by Arthur Heiron, London 1921
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The following photographs show the beautiful setting of the Norfolk Island cemetery.
cemetery
 grave
Overlooking Cemetery Bay
 The grave
cemetery





     <  view of cemetery and of Kingston


Kingston, Norfolk Island


above, right & below: Kingston, Norfolk Island
 Kingston, Norfolk Island
Kingston
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An unwarranted Lodge of Freemasons is thought to have met on Norfolk Island in the first decade of the 1800's.  On 27 April 1800 the Masonic Lodge of St John purchased a property in or near the historic Kingston area, shown above.  About 1807 members were relocated to Hobart.  This lodge was not sanctioned or given a Warrant by any Grand Lodge.  There are no records of its meetings. 

The first warranted Masonic Lodge to meet in Australia, the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues No. 227 I.C., arrived in Sydney with the 46th Regiment of Foot in 1814. 

No warranted Lodge of Freemasons exists on Norfolk Island.  An attempt to form a Lodge in 1931 proved unsuccessful.  In 1969 the Norfolk Island Masonic Association was formed with a view to forming a lodge.  There is no record of this Association after the 1970's. 

The island is situated in the jurisdictional territory of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory.


Further information
  • Cumming, Grahame H (booklet, 1996, Sydney): "Freemasonry on Norfolk Island"
  • Linford, R (1994): 'The First Australian Stationary Masonic Lodge?' in pages 12-32 of "Masonic Inspirations" (Transactions of the Victorian Lodge of Research, Vol. 8 for 1994), ISBN 0 646 23015 8 - or see www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/6779/linford1.html
  • Dalkin, R Nixon (1991): "Colonial Era Cemetery of Norfolk Island",  ISBN 1 86273 060 1
  • McNab, Robert (1914, Dunedin): "From Tasman To Marsden: A History of Northern New Zealand from 1642 to 1818" - Chapter VIII: 'The First Whaling Trade, 1801 to 1806'  - see www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-McNTasm-t1-body-d8-d1.html and following web pages.
  • Dakin, W J (1938): "Whalemen Adventurers" - Chapter 2: 'The Early Days of South Sea Whaling' - see www.whales.org.au/published/whalemen/
  • New Zealand National Maritime Museum - New Zealand Maritime Index: for General Boyd see www.nzmaritimeindex.org.nz/ixvesselsG.htm .
  • The General Boyd is recorded at Port Jackson by Matthew Flinders in a journal entry for Sunday 27 June 1802 as follows - "Came in and anchored, the general Boyd - from a fishing cruize" - see image.sl.nsw.gov.au/Ebind/s1_24/a055/a055500.html
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The Moderns and Antients and the Dundee Arms Lodge in the 1700's ...

More information on the Norfolk Island Cemetery ...

Norfolk Island Government site
www.freemasonrysaust.org.au/hales.html