The first meeting to discuss the formation of a Masonic Lodge in Mackay was held on the 13th April 1870. It was reported in the Mackay Mercury and states as follows:-  “In accordance with an advertisement, several members belonging to the Masonic fraternity met together in the large room of Spring’s Hotel on Wednesday evening last, for the purpose of discussing the subject of forming a Lodge in Mackay.

At a meeting at Wills Hotel on the 25th January 1875, after lengthy deliberation, it was decided unanimously that the necessary steps be at once taken to establish a Lodge. This resolution was followed by the meeting naming and electing the principal officers of the Lodge, after which it was decided to style the Lodge “The Pioneer” EC.  The chief business of the meeting having been satisfactorily settled, a conversation on masonic subjects relative to the new Lodge then ensued and brought the proceedings to a close. (There is a Pioneer Lodge No 16 UGLQ in Gympie.)

In 1879 tenders were called for the erection of a Masonic Hall. The building in Wood Street was two storeys high, 50 ft long by 25 ft wide. On the completion of the work, the Consecration and Dedication of the new Lodge building took place on 8th April 1880 and was presided over by Wor Bro EP Ashdown, who had dispensation of the District Grand Master empowering him to act as Presiding Officer upon the occasion and to conduct the consecration.

1918 started with a disaster for Mackay and district, for the Lodge and for so many people, with a devasting cyclone which began on 20th January that claimed 30 lives and destroyed most of the town and surrounding districts. The Lodge building was flattened and most contents destroyed. Some records, which were soaked, were carefully restored but a lot have crumbled over time. The cyclone event necessitated the return to the Oddfellows Hall for meetings, after special dispensation from District Grand Lodge was obtained. This continued until plans were drawn up for a new building.

Three lodges (Mackay 24, Temple 31 and Caledonia 34) combined in a joint venture to build a new temple on a grander scale. Thus, the Mackay Masonic Trust was formed. The building was to be “70 ft x 30 ft, two floors, built for masonic purposes”. The architect was Mr Frederick Herbert Faircloth. He was born in Maryborough in 1870 and died on 8th July 1925, just after the building’s completion. He had set up practice in Bundaberg in 1893 and had a large part in the designs of buildings in Bundaberg and Mackay. He designed the Isis Masonic Lodge and a lot of buildings in Childers after a fire devasted the main street in 1902.

The Temple in Mackay was built by brothers Frank & William Guthrie at a cost of £6500. They were also from Bundaberg and planned to stay in Mackay for 12 months to complete the Queensland National Australia Bank building. Their stay, however, lasted for 36 years.  The Guthrie brothers built many other buildings in Mackay such as the Ambassador, Australian, Metropolitan, Prince of Wales, Shamrock, Taylor’s and Wilkinson’s hotels, along with the now defunct Daily Mercury building. It is a testament to the masons at that time, who in all probability had sustained damages themselves, that it was only 6 years after the cyclone, that construction of the new Masonic Temple began.

The building’s foundation stone was scheduled to be laid on 1st March 1924 by RW Bro WH Green, DistGM of Nth Queensland, and assisted by Wor Bro A Pirie, PGS of Working, but this was postponed to Saturday 8th March owing to the inability of RW Bro Green to be present as the Burdekin River was in flood and the train was cancelled. Mr W Guthrie (the building contractor) desired to commence work and RW Bro Pirie was deputised to officiate. Under the stone was placed a casket containing a list of the officers in Mackay Masonic Lodges, a number of coins and a copy of the ‘Mercury’. RW Bro Pirie scattered corn, poured wine and oil, then scattered salt on the stone. After this ceremony, the plan of the building was handed to the contractor. The casket is still there to this day.

On Saturday 13th June 1925 the dedication and consecration of the new Masonic Temple took place. MW Bro Robert Nicholas Fernehaugh Quinn, Grand Master 1924/25, conducted the ceremony, attended by Grand Officers.  Reportedly over 400 freemasons were in attendance.

The Masonic Lodge building is a two-storey building, with the Lodge room located on the 1st floor. The ground floor has been commercially tenanted and utilised by a myriad of different community organisations, with the rental income assisting with the overall financial position. Over the years there have been many renovations, but the largest comprehensive change was in 1994, when extensions were carried out to create a new supper room, kitchen, meeting room, offices and toilets. The cost was $351,000.  The architects were Sanders, Turner & Ellick and the builders were TF Woollam & Sons. Since that time an electronic stair chair and air conditioning for the whole building have been installed. That the building is debt free and well maintained is a testament to all the masons and their wives who worked so hard to raise money for this purpose. Special mention and gratitude must be made of the continuous dedication of VW Bro Fred Cairns PDGDC, VWor Bro Glen Jackson PGS Works and VWor Bro John Smith PGS Works, who gave so much of their time, knowledge, expertise and skills to ensure that the building can pass to the next generation in a sound and viable condition for the future challenges.

Acknowledgement

The Brethren of the lodges across the district offer their profound thanks to Grace and Alan Hutchison for their extensive research to tell the comprehensive story of the Mackay Masonic Centre using the National Library’s public records, government records, historical collections, newspaper articles, member’s registers, attendance books, historical installation cards, and other artifacts and documents belonging to UGLQ and the members of the Mackay Freemasonry community as well as their own research collection which has been curated over decades. Their collective dedication to this task, and to Freemasonry in general, is immense.