A HISTORY OF LODGE GOLDEN THISTLE No. 840 S.C.
First Scottish Lodge erected on the Eastern Goldfields of WA
By Bro. Doug Daws PDGM, Hon, SGW (Scot.) – August 2021
Although Coolgardie is now known to most West Australians as a tourist town and refueling stop on the road to the Eastern States, in the mid to late 1890’s it was a bustling place and the third largest town in Western Australia (after Perth and Fremantle). At that time the mining of gold, especially alluvial gold, was a major industry and it supplied the then flagging West Australian economy with much-needed revenue. Until Kalgoorlie took the lead, Coolgardie was very much the focus of international attention, and prospectors from the world over traipsed there hoping to win a fortune from the dirt. But let us go back to a time before the gold rushes started. The Swan River Colony had started in 1829 – life was tough and progress slow. Nevertheless, in 1843 Governor John Hutt, an enthusiastic Freemason, together with other influential men in the settlement, also Freemasons, banded together and obtained a Charter from the Grand Lodge of England to establish the first Freemason’s lodge in Western Australia
Governor Hutt
It was named the Lodge of St. John No. 712 E.C. The second lodge was Fremantle Lodge No.1033 E.C. but that didn’t come into existence until 1865. Others followed at Albany (1873), Geraldton (1877), Bunbury, York, and then another in Perth in 1886. By 1894 there were still only 13 lodges established in WA – six in the metropolitan area and seven in country locations.
It was the impact of the first gold discoveries that hastened the establishment of more lodges, firstly in the older settled towns that began to serve as transit and supply points for the rush of population heading into the gold country out east, and later in the new ‘gold’ towns themselves.
An early map of the Eastern Goldfields taken from “Those Were the Days”
Southern Cross was the first major new gold discovery in 1888 and it then took another four years for the early prospectors to cross the harsh sand plains to the place now known as Coolgardie. According to all accounts, gold was discovered at Coolgardie by Bayley and Ford on the 17th of September 1892. Bayley hastily reported the discovery of 554 ounces of gold to J.M. Finnerty, then the resident mining warden back at Southern Cross. At that time 554 ounces of gold was worth ₤2,200 – a veritable fortune – and in accordance with Western Australian mining regulations, Bayley was offered a reward claim covering 20 acres of land at Fly Flat. Australia had seen several major gold rushes over the previous three decades, mostly centered on the east coast, but these had mostly been exhausted by the 1890s. With the discovery of a new goldfield, an entire new gold rush began, with thousands flocking to the area. So by 1898, Coolgardie was the third-largest town in the colony, with a population of 15,000, and another 10,000 in the surrounding region including, of course, Kalgoorlie. The population at both places grew rapidly and eventually there were more than 100,000 residents in the district – or so the records say.
Early Days – Coolgardie
We know for certain that, at its peak, 700 mining companies were based in Coolgardie and registered with the London Stock Exchange. The town also supported a wide variety of businesses and services, including a railway, a swimming pool (first public baths in the state), many hotels, and several newspapers. It was a very progressive town and there was a vigorous debate in the late 1890s about whether it should be Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, or even Kanowna that should be regarded as the ‘capital of the eastern region – the area we now know generally as the Eastern Goldfields. But we need to realise that the hordes of gold-seekers that followed the gold rushes of the 1890s were not just a rabble, although some of them undoubtedly were. They came from all over the world and were educated and well connected.
Installation Ceremonies Masonic Hall Coolgardie 1896
Many of them came from the established cities of Europe and America which were, at that time, suffering from a global economic depression and they had migrated to try to make their fortune. Many of these immigrants had been members of Freemason lodges back home. This is readily revealed when you study the ‘mother’ lodges of the foundation members of the early lodges. They came from literally every then civilised country around the world. Once things settled down the pioneers eagerly created reminders of life in more established towns and cities. Thus, for instance, horse racing clubs and competitive cycle clubs were established. They set up mechanics Institutes (an early form of the public library), choral societies, brass bands, debating societies and, Freemason’s lodges. A study reveals that there was usually a gap of about 4 or 5 years from the date of a new gold discovery leading to the establishment of a new town and, the creation of the first Masonic lodge there. This was usually initiated by an advertisement in a local newspaper or news sheet, or a handwritten notice put on the notice board of one of the local hotels inviting Freemasons interested in establishing a new lodge to assemble there at a certain time and date.
There was no problem with obtaining a Charter – apart from the time delay in writing back to England or Scotland – as there was no sovereign Grand Lodge then established in the Swan River Colony that might have objected. Erection of Lodge Golden Thistle No. 840 SC at Coolgardie. The first lodge ‘erected’ at Coolgardie was the Coolgardie Lodge, now No. 1 3 W.A.C., which was Consecrated on 4th November 1895 as No. 2543 E.C.
Warden Finnerty
This lodge still meets regularly in Perth. The second lodge ‘erected’ at Coolgardie was Lodge Golden Thistle No. 840 S.C. almost exactly a year later on 5th November 1896. Thus it was that on the 3rd August 1896 a group of Freemasons met at Elliot’s Hotel in Bayley Street for the purpose of forming a lodge under the Scottish Constitution. Bro. Dr. Leger Erson was in the chair with another 23 named brethren present belonging to lodges from the Grand Lodges of Victoria, New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Scotland, England, and Spain. There were several other unattached brethren also in attendance. It was unanimously agreed that all present should become Foundation members of the proposed new lodge.
The election of the Right Worshipful Master (RWM) Elect resulted in Bro. Charles McDowell being appointed and he indeed went on to become the Foundation RWM. He came from the Victorian Constitution (Grand Lodge). It is interesting to note that only one other of the 19 officers elected at that meeting went on to become the RWM of the lodge, such was the ephemeral nature of existence in the early days of the ‘gold rush. Prospectors were always on the move to the next discovery. It was Moved by a Bro. Alex Kirk (NSWC), Seconded Bro. Alex Gilchrist (also NSWC) that the new lodge be named Golden Thistle under the Scottish Constitution. The RWM Elect, Bro. McDowell then took the chair and announced that the fees for the Foundation Members would be 1 Guinea (i.e. 1 pound and 1 shilling – or 21 shillings – equivalent in today’s money to $2.10 although of much greater value) and for joining members 2 Guineas yearly, and for new Initiates, 7 Guineas.
Bro. Williams Moved and Bro. Padley seconded that the regalia for the lodge be standard light blue in colour but with the addition of a golden thistle on each side. It was Moved by Bro. Padley and Seconded by Bro. Tickell that the Secretary (elect) enquire as to the cost of such regalia and the likely cost to members. In the weeks that followed the decision to form the new lodge there was much work to be done such as the venue for the meetings and who would be the brethren best suited to, not only consecrate the lodge, but also to Install the RWM Elect and his Officers
At another informal meeting held on August 15th, again at Elliot’s Hotel, it was suggested that the Mining Warden, Bro. John Finnerty, the WM of the Coolgardie Lodge be asked to be the Installing Officer and that the RWM install (invest) his own Officers. They decided that the lodge would be Consecrated at the hour of high twelve (noon) on Wednesday 30th September 1896. Another meeting was held on Tuesday 18th August and the 25 brethren present unanimously accepted the proposal that Warden Finnerty be the Installing Master and that the RWM would invest his own officers but they deferred the timing of the Consecration for another week. A week later (25th August) it was decided that the lodge would meet in the hall of Beaconsfield Chambers in Sylvester Street and that the District Grand Chaplain, Bro. Rev. G. Rowe would be asked to consecrate the premises.
Beaconsfield Chambers Coolgardie
Arrangements continue to change and became confusing At that meeting they also suggested that the ceremony of Consecration be conducted at 4pm rather than at the earlier decided high twelve and considered whether there would be a banquet after the ceremonials at Kennedy’s Hotel at the cost of 30 shillings ($3) per head or at Lipman’s and Vincents at 15 shillings per head, but without wines. Eventually, it was decided that the banquet would be held at Lipman’s and Vincents provided the wines were supplied at the scheduled rate. But ‘things’ were getting disrupted and at a meeting held on 1st September they again deferred the banquet arrangements and also deferred consideration of the leasing of the Beaconsfield Chambers for another week. They also again changed the time for commencement of the Consecration ceremony from 4pm forward to 3.30 pm.
Another meeting was held at Kennedy’s Hotel on 8th September when it was agreed that they would borrow the regalia of the Coolgardie Lodge for the Consecration ceremony and, as Bro. Rev. G. Rowe was unable to do the Consecration, that they would ask Bro. Dr. Erson to do the honours. They also decided to again change the banquet arrangements settling on the use of the new Mechanics Institute Hall and accepted the offer of Kennedy’s Hotel to provide the catering. Invitations for the meeting were sent – by advertisement – to all Master Masons in WA. All was looking good but, at the very next meeting on 15th September, they received telegrams from several brethren indicating their inability to attend on the date chosen for the Consecration and/or to accept the commission offered to them in the new lodge. This included Bro. Rev. G. Rowe couldn’t attend on the 30th of September but would be available if the meeting was shifted to the 23rd October. His offer was declined. Bro. Dr. Erson who they had chosen/asked to do the Consecration also declined.
At yet another meeting on 22nd September, it was decided that Bro. Alfred Padley, a PSGW of the Victorian Constitution, had attended the first meeting and had been elected as the Director of Ceremonies together with a Bro. Tofield – a PM that doesn’t seem to have attended the first meetings – would jointly conduct the Consecration and that Bro. Finnerty, WM of the Coolgardie Lodge would be the Installing Master. In any event, the records suggest
the eventual Installation ceremony was conducted with great pomp and parade.
The organist Bro. W. Hansen was assisted by a strong choir and the Bro. Chaplain, the Rev. J.A. Burns offered the introductory and Dedicatory prayers. At the conclusion of the ceremony, and at the first time of asking, there were 14 applications for Initiation readout. Thus the beginning of Lodge Golden Thistle could be described as somewhat confused and uncertain – even chaotic. Nevertheless, growth was strong in those early years, so much so that other lodges of both the Scottish and Western Australian Constitutions were established to enable them to deal with the strong growth in membership. One of these was the Finnerty Lodge No. 2780 EC – named, of course, after Warden Finnerty, the inaugural Master of Coolgardie Lodge. This lodge was Consecrated on 15th April 1898 but not only was the name later changed to Commonwealth Lodge No. 27 WAC, it didn’t last very long. The lodge handed in its Charter in 1905.
Lodge Golden Feather No. 855 SC, at Kanowna, was the next Scottish lodge to be established on the Eastern Goldfields – Consecrated 5th August 1897 – but was quickly followed by Lodge Scotia No. 861 SC – Consecrated on 4th November 1897 at Coolgardie – almost exactly one year after the Consecration of Lodge Golden Thistle. There were then other Scottish lodges consecrated in the ‘Goldfields’ including Sir William Wallace, Ivanhoe, Menzies Doric, Golden Arrow, and Balmoral before another lodge, Lodge Federal No. 900 SC was Consecrated at Coolgardie on 30th November 1899. With two WAC and three Scottish lodges meeting at Coolgardie it was decided to build a Masonic Temple.
Masonic Hall Coolgardie 1972
The Coolgardie Masonic Hall Trust was formed and, by 1899, the stone building had been constructed in Lindsay Street. The Foundation stone was laid by His Excellency Rt. Wor. Bro Sir Gerald Smith, State Governor and to become the first Grand Master of the WA Grand Lodge.
Former Coolgardie Masonic Hall In 1906 the Scottish lodges on the ‘Goldfields’ decided to have their own District Grand Lodge and Bro. Andrew Barr was chosen as the first R.W. District Grand Master. Bro. Barr was the second RWM of Lodge Golden Thistle (1897 – 98), following on from the Foundation Master, Bro. Charles McDowell. Bro. Barr occupied the office of RWDGM of the Eastern Goldfields for five years (1906 – 1910) and during his term of office there were twenty-one Scottish lodges in the Eastern Goldfields under his jurisdiction including, of course, the three at Coolgardie viz. Golden Thistle, Scotia, and Federal.
Masonic membership continued to grow strongly for some years but as gold mining activity declined a corresponding decline in lodge membership began to emerge. In a letter to the Secretary of Lodge Golden Thistle in July 1911, the District Grand Secretary advised – in response to an inquiry from the Secretary of Lodge Golden Thistle – that they were free to discuss the amalgamation of the three Scottish lodges at Coolgardie. It was obviously a difficult issue as it wasn’t until 1917-18 (the final years of WW1) that Lodge Federal No. 900 decided to amalgamate with Lodge Scotia No. 861 and then, only a little later, Lodge Scotia negotiated for amalgamation with Lodge Golden Thistle. It was decided that No. 840, (Lodge Golden Thistle) being the first Scottish Charter to be granted on the Eastern Goldfields, should be the one to continue to function. Meanwhile, in 1911, Bro. Andrew Barr, the Foundation RWDGM of the DGL and second Master of Lodge Golden Thistle had passed away and on 8th August the DGL wrote to all daughter lodges seeking their financial support for the manufacture of a memorial to him. Specifically
“the tablet should be of marble, of approved design and suitably inscribed, the maximum cost not to exceed ₤60. The DGL had decided that a tablet in the Masonic Hall Coolgardie would be most suitable.”
Tablet to honour Bro. Andrew Barr, first RWDGM, re-installed into the wall of Kalgoorlie Masonic Hall
That the appeal was a success is evidenced by the existence of that memorial tablet which was originally placed into the inside wall of the Coolgardie Masonic Temple. It was recovered during demolition in 1995, after blasting in the nearby Lindsay’s open-pit led to the Coolgardie Shire condemning the entire building, and placed into an outer wall of the Kalgoorlie Masonic Hall. The Coolgardie stone building, although constructed by ‘masons’, had previously been badly damaged in a mini-cyclone in the “60’s” that had lifted the roof off causing structural problems. The nearby blasting ‘topped’ off the poor original construction and added to the earlier damage. The decline of Coolgardie begins and continues Gold production at Coolgardie had already begun to decrease in the early 1900s, and by World War I, the town was in serious decline. The federal electorate based on Coolgardie was abolished in 1913 due to the diminished population, as many of its residents had left for other towns where the gold was still plentiful. The enlistment of local men simply hastened the decline. In fact, during the 1914-18 war there were 22 members of Lodge Golden Thistle who answered the country’s call and, of these, five paid the supreme sacrifice.
Nevertheless, the importance and influence of Freemasonry to the Coolgardie community continued. It is best exemplified by the advice to lodge members on their Installation program for 1909 wherein it said “Train will leave for Kalgoorlie at 11 P.M. connecting with last circuit train”. The circuit train referred to is what we now call the ‘Loop line’. These ‘guys’ had the power to order up a special train to run on the mainline to get them back home to Kalgoorlie and Boulder after their lodge meeting. From 1920 to 1930 the membership of the lodge suffered severely from the effects of the worldwide depression, plus the serious decline in the mining industry. The lodge’s existence was at a very low ebb. Those PM’s and members who were able to, worked diligently to keep the lodge going and travelled over roads from Kalgoorlie which were, at that time, nothing more than a nightmare and so were able to keep the lodge together.
From 1930 onwards No. 840 showed signs of prosperity, having admitted – according to the lodge records – a goodly number of worthy members due to the renewed mining activity everywhere, including the Coolgardie District. All this as a direct consequence of the signing of the Breton Woods Agreement that fixed the price of gold at US$35 per ounce. All went well until, in 1939, the dark mantle of World War 2 covered the globe. Again, the toll of enlistments weakened the membership of the lodge and made the conditions for carrying on regular lodge work very difficult. The Past Master’s once again shouldered the responsibility and, with the assistance of a few brethren who weren’t called up and were able to maintain their interest, they were able to keep the Lodge Golden Thistle ‘banner’ flying. The difficulties were lightened to some extent when the road between Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie was bituminised but this was immediately offset by the imposition of war-time petrol rationing. This hurdle was jumped only by the close co-operation of the brethren. Indeed, the situation became so grim at one stage that the lodge decided to revert to only meeting on alternative months in an attempt to try to alleviate the position.
There were 20 members who joined the fighting services in World War 2 but I haven’t been able to determine how many – if any – were killed. There seems to have been none. In keeping with the strong growth generally in Freemasonry after the World War, Lodge Golden Thistle too experienced growth and in the first year after the declaration of Peace, there were several candidates for Initiation. Many who had seen service in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This growth continued through the ‘fifties’ and into the ‘sixties’ when once again the fortunes of Lodge Golden Thistle, as did Freemasonry everywhere, begin to wane. The discovery of nickel at Kambalda – which is located in the Coolgardie Shire district – in 1966 and the exploration boom that followed brought new prosperity and hope to Coolgardie. The lodge was able to maintain regular meetings. The “Gold Boom” of the 1980’s and early 1990’s allowed Golden Thistle, if not to actually prosper, to continue in a reasonably regular fashion.
Some of the member personalities of Lodge Golden Thistle Bro. Andrew Barr, Hon. JGW (Scot.), of Lodge Golden Thistle, as mentioned earlier, became the first RWDGM of the District Grand Lodge of the Western Australian Goldfields from 1906 to 1910. There have been another four members of Golden Thistle that have also filled that role. i.e. four out of a total of nineteen. Bro C. J. (Jack) Tree, Hon. JGW (Scot.), served a five-year term as RWDGM from 1987 to 1992. Jack, a PM of Golden Thistle was in his working life, a panel beater. He came to the Goldfields and settled in Coolgardie in the early 1970’s and established a business focused on the emerging tourist industry. He became very active in the community and civic affairs including a term or two as the President of the Coolgardie Shire Council. His Mother lodge was Bassendean No. 102 WAC. Jack, and his wife Francis eventually retired to live, firstly in the restored Warden Finnerty house and then in the Montana retirement village at Coolgardie. They were both awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours list of 2004. He was also a JP of long-standing. His remains are buried in the Coolgardie Cemetery. The grave is marked by a bronze plaque supplied by the DGL.
Bro. R. (Dick) G. Barber followed Jack Tree and was the RWDGM from 1992 to 1997. Dick served time as a medical orderly in the RAN and this included a tour of duty in the Korean War. In later life he was employed as a hospital orderly at the Coolgardie Hospital. He was, for a time, President of the Coolgardie RSL Sub-Branch. His Mother lodge belonged to the United Grand Lodge of NSW After he finished his term as RWDGM he went to live at the Howard Solomon Masonic Village in Perth. His ashes are buried in the front garden bed of the Kalgoorlie Ex-Services Club in Dugan Street. Bro. Tom Newby was not only a terrific human being but a dedicated member of both the District Grand Lodge and his mother lodge, Lodge Golden Thistle. His was a tragic life, not that you would know it by simply meeting and talking to him. You see, Tom was the infant son and his father was a loco driver on the Kurrawang wood line who was scalded to death when two steam locos collided early one morning. see story
Tom was only a young child so was deprived of the love and nurture of a father. After his father’s death, he was adopted by the Main family who had three sons – brothers in more ways than one to young Tom. Tom became the RWM of Golden Thistle for 1934 – 35 but was ‘beaten to the post by Eric Main (RWM 1932-33) and followed by Bill Main (RWM 1936-37) and R.B. Main who was RWM 1939-40. The late Bro. Jack Tree had some records and spoke to me more than once about the alleged membership to Lodge Golden Thistle of a William Nicholas of the “Nicholas” Aspro family fame. Charles was a lecturer in geology from Melbourne University and produced a small booklet titled “The Coolgardie Goldfields – Western Australia” in January 1895. As Lodge Golden Thistle wasn’t Consecrated until September 1896 when Nicholas was well and truly back in Melbourne, I’m not sure what other information Jack was relying on but he was known for not always getting ‘it right’. Anyhow, the story about George and his natural brother, Alfred, who may have been related to Charles Nicholas, who may or may not have been a Freemason, is interesting but will feature in a later story.
Finally a return to the enigmatic Bro. John Michael Finnerty, the fellow that had a lodge named after him and conducted the Consecration of Lodge Golden Thistle in 1896. Bro. Jack Tree loved to advise anyone that would listen that Finnerty was eventually excluded as a member of the Coolgardie Lodge for non-payment of his dues.
In this instance Jack was correct. An ignominious end to what until then had been a stellar role in Freemasonry in the goldfields. When the Masonic Hall at Coolgardie was demolished in 1995, Lodge Golden Thistle relocated to meet at the Kalgoorlie Masonic hall where it continues to meet to this day. The land on which it stood and owned by the Coolgardie Masonic Hall trust was sold to the Coolgardie Aboriginal Parents School (CAPS) to allow expansion of their operations and now features a classroom block.
Moya Sharp
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