Freemasons Farewell Historic Sandringham Masonic Centre

Media Release

13 December 2017

The historic Sandringham Masonic Hall, built in 1931, will be farewelled when Freemasons travel from all over Victoria for a final meeting of United Grand Lodge of Victoria on Wednesday 13 December 2017.

The historic Sandringham Masonic Hall

On 27 May 1931, the Foundation Stone for the Sandringham Masonic Hall was laid by Lord Somers, in his capacity as Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge in Victoria.

Don Reynolds, Grand Master of Freemasons Victoria, said at its peak, the Sandringham Masonic Hall provided a meeting place for fourteen Lodges and the building was enlarged in 1956 to accommodate an increasing membership.

“The first of these, Sandringham Lodge No 220, was founded in 1912. The site in Abbott Street, Sandringham was acquired by the newly formed Sandringham District Hall Co Ltd in 1924.”

Mr Reynolds said “the Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge to be held on Wednesday 13 December 2017 at the Sandringham Masonic Centre will be a fitting farewell to the historic building.

The Quarterly Communication will also be live streamed to designated Masonic Centres around Victoria.

“The Members of the Sandringham Centre, the Brighton and Moorabbin Centres, will transfer to the new modern Bayside Masonic Centre at Gardenvale in the New Year as part of Freemasons Victoria’s strategic development of new facilities to enable both Masonic and community engagement.

“Currently the historic Sandringham Masonic Centre has been listed for sale and could be converted for community use,” Mr Reynolds said.

Freemasons Victoria Grand Master, Don Reynolds in the Lodge Room at the historic

Sandringham Masonic Centre.

Heritage Significance

Sandringham Masonic Hall is of historical significance due to its associations with Freemasonry which played an important cultural role in Victoria. The large and substantial building illustrates the popularity of Freemasonry particularly after World War I.

Sandringham Masonic Hall is a rare and distinctive example of the Egyptian Revival architectural style in Victoria. There are very few buildings that adopt this style in Victoria and the Sandringham Masonic Hall is one of only three known examples of this style applied to a Masonic Hall.

It is of particular note as the style is applied to both the exterior and interior of the building. The adoption of the Egyptian Revival style demonstrates the ideological link between Freemasonry and ancient Egypt. It reflects both the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922 and the return of Australian soldiers from World War I with Egyptian objects displaying such motifs as the winged disc.

Sandringham Masonic Hall is of aesthetic significance for its extensive and largely intact symbolic Egyptian themed interior decorative scheme, particularly in the main hall, lodge room and upper foyer. It is a rare and unusual style of decoration in Victoria.

Media Enquiries:

Ron Smith, Media Communications, Freemasons Victoria – Mobile: 0417 329 201