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

Samuel James Way was born in Devonshire, England, on 11th April 1836. His father was the Rev. James Way, a Bible Christian minister. The Bible Christians - a small Methodist denomination - had established a school known as Shebbear College in North Devon to provide primary education for boys intended for the Bible Christian ministry and Way attended this school for two years. In later years Way took a great interest in this school.  During a visit to England in 1891, he presented the prizes at its annual speech day and concluded his speech at the prize giving by presenting to the school the title deeds of the land on which the school was built.  Shebbear College is still carrying on as a leading Methodist boarding school in England.
 

Migration to South Australia

In 1850 the Rev. James Way, his wife and four younger children emigrated to South Australia, leaving behind Samuel Way, then 14, to continue his education. In 1853 Samuel followed his family to South Australia.  On arrival, he had to look round for a job and made applications for employment as a clerk in a bank, the post office and a mining company - all of which were refused.  Eventually he obtained employment as a junior clerk in a solicitors' office.  Later he entered into articles with another solicitor and after five years he was admitted as a barrister, solicitor, attorney and proctor on 25th March, 1861.  From then on his rise in the legal profession was meteoric.  At the time of his admission there were only about 30 legal practitioners in South Australia.
 

Legal career

In the next ten years S J Way became a leader of the legal profession, being appointed Queen's Counsel in September 1871.  In 1875 Way was elected to the South Australian Parliament as the member for Sturt.  The Premier (Blyth) whom he supported was defeated.  Way was appointed Attorney-General in the new government on 3rd June 1875.  In the following March Chief Justice Sir Richard Hanson died.  Judges are appointed by the Governor on the advice of Executive Council, and it is the function of the Attorney-General to recommend a name to Cabinet.  There can be little doubt that Way recommended himself.  He was duly appointed Chief Justice in March 1876, a few weeks before his 40th birthday.  Each of his two colleagues on the Supreme Court bench, Mr. Justice Gwynne and Mr. Justice Stow, considered that he should have been appointed Chief Justice ahead of Way and it is said that neither of them would speak to him in private after he took up his duties in the Supreme Court.  However, Way proved a great judge and gave outstanding service to South Australia during almost 40 years as Chief Justice.
 

Samuel Way as a Freemason

Samuel James Way joined Freemasonry in 1862 when he was initiated in Lodge of Harmony (then No. 505 EC) on 13 October.  In 1871 he "called off", rejoining as an active member in February 1884.  In 1889 he became a foundation member of Lodge St Alban, and remained a member of both lodges until his death.  In 1901 a new lodge, Sir Samuel Way Lodge No. 48,  was founded in Stirling West.  Way laid the foundation stone of this lodge's hall on 21 November 1914, and his last appearance as Grand Master was to dedicate the new Masonic Hall on 12 December 1915, less than a month before his death from cancer.

After Samuel Way rejoined Freemasonry in 1884 his rise in Freemasonry was spectacular.  In 1883 there were 33 Masonic lodges in South Australia, 20 working under the English Constitution, 7 under the Irish and 6 under the Scottish.  In July 1883 a committee had been set up under the chairmanship of R.W. Bro. H.M. Addison to consider the formation of a Grand Lodge of South Australia.  The committee worked swiftly and efficiently and by the end of 1883, out of 2043 contributing members of the Craft, 1625 had given their written consent to join the proposed union, and only 43 had voted against.  Way at this time was a member of Lodge of Harmony No. 505 E.C. but his highest rank in that lodge was Inner Guard.  He took no part in the proceedings which resulted in the formation of the new Grand Lodge. 

However, he was an outstanding citizen and was duly elected as Grand Master Mason.  On 16th April 1884, a convention of delegates assembled at the Masonic Hall, Flinders Street, and passed a resolution establishing the Grand Lodge of South Australia.  The Past Master's degree was then
conferred on Way, the Grand Master-elect.  The following day at the Adelaide Town Hall, in the presence of about 1000 Freemasons, he and his Grand Lodge officers were duly installed.  At the banquet held at the Town Hall on that evening, 450 brethren attended (and there was no less than 22 speeches). 

Though Way had played little part in Masonic affairs prior to his becoming Grand Master, thereafter he proved himself a very able and enthusiastic leader of the Craft in South Australia.  It was largely through his advocacy that the new Grand Lodge was recognized by the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland.  He was the installing Grand Master when Lord Carrington, Governor of New South Wales, was installed as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales.  He also assisted at the installations of the first Grand Masters of Victoria and Tasmania.  It was on his petition that H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, consented to become Patron of the Grand Lodge of South Australia.  Way was Grand Master of our Grand Lodge from 1884 to 1889, and (again) from 1895 until his death in 1916.  In 1889 he installed as his successor the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Kintore, P.C., G.C.M.G., the Governor of South Australia and he himself was installed as Pro Grand Master during the five years of the Earl's reign as Grand Master.  When in England in 1897 he assisted H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence to install Lord Carrington as Provincial Grand Master of Buckinghamshire.
 

Further honours

Way was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of South Australia in January 1891.  His first service as acting Governor of South Australia was in 1877. 

In 1897 he was appointed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, the first Australian to achieve that honour.  In the same year in London he presented a jubilee address to H.M. Queen Victoria on behalf of the Grand Lodges of South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and New Zealand at a meeting of 7000 Masons held at the Albert Hall.  The Grand Master, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, who presided at this meeting, conferred on Way the rank of Past Grand Warden of the United Grand Lodge of England. 

M.W. Bro. Sir Samuel James Way was knighted and created a baronet in 1899. 
 

Other interests

Way had many interests outside the law and Freemasonry.  He became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, elected in 1876, the first year of that institution, and seven years later was appointed Chancellor, an office which he held until his death in 1916. 

He was a member of the Public Library Board (President 1893-1908), and variously president of the Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution, the South Australian Society of Arts, the Empire League, the Royal Society of St George and the Zoological Society.  He helped found the Adelaide Children's Hospital and was president of that institution from its start until 1915.

Throughout his life Way was a devout Methodist.  He gave great service to the cause of Methodist union, which objective was attained in 1902. 
 

Final years

Towards the end of his life he was criticized for clinging too long to some of his important positions, but Sir Samuel never lost his interest in Freemasonry and on 12th December 1915, when hardly able to walk, he dedicated a new Masonic Hall at Stirling West.  Less than a month after the dedication, M.W. Bro. Way died at his home at Montefiore, North Adelaide. 

His last years were sad ones, as following the death of Lady Way in May, 1914 it was found that he was suffering from sarcoma which necessitated the amputation of an arm.  He returned to his court work after the operation and made a courageous attempt to carry on some of his other duties, but the cancer was not cured and this great South Australian died 8th January 1916, after nearly forty years as Chief Justice.

In a final tribute , Sir George Murray speaking as Vice-Chancellor of the University said - 
"... he was a great lawyer and a great judge and one of the kindest and truest of friends.  If I were to describe from my intimate knowledge of him the quality which struck me most I should say that he was ever and always a faithful and earnest servant of the public.  His career is ended.  We shall not see him here again, but he has left us a noble and inspiring example, the influence of which will long endure."

Way received the final official honour of a State funeral.  He bequeathed his library of 15,000 books to the University of Adelaide.  His statue was unveiled in North Terrace, Adelaide, in November 1924.

At the meeting of Grand Lodge following M.W. Bro. Sir Samuel Way's death, the Pro Grand Master, M.W.Bro. E.B. Grundy said: "... he was a cultured man, possessed of considerable natural ability, courteous, affable,and having a loving and magnetic personality.  He was an earnest and eloquent speaker, a devout Christian, and a man of great compassion and sympathy..."
 

Sir Samuel Way's motto "Fit Via Vi"  (from Book II of the Roman poet Vergil's epic 'The Aeneid') may be translated "The way is forged by strength".  Samuel James Way displayed great inner strength throughout his life, rising from humble beginnings to positions of leadership in many fields. 

"Dictionary of Australian Biography", Serle, G (1949)
"The Life of Chief Justice Way", Hannan, AJ (1960): Adelaide
"Cyclopedia of South Australia" (1901)
"A History of Craft Masonry in South Australia 1884-1934" (1976): Adelaide
"The Masonic Grand Masters of Australia", Henderson, K (1988): Melbourne
"S.A.'s Greats - the men and women of the North Terrace plaques", Healey, J (2002): Adelaide
"The regret of Sir Samuel Way", Parkinson, A (1995): Australian Journal of Legal History