Famous Australian Freemasons

Freemasonry attracts men of strength, intelligence, courage and great principle, so it is unsurprising that many of its members have also been leaders in their field.  Below is a list of some of the great Australians who were also members of our ancient fraternity.

Freemasons of Fame and Renown

Famous Australian Freemasons

Col Dr Sir Weary Dunlop AC, CMG, OBE (1907-1993) , War Hero & Doctor in WWII Japanese POW Changi Railway - saved hundreds including Sir William Clavel (author of Shogun); Since WWII built links with Asia Initiated in Lodge Liberation, No 674 in 1954 UGLV

Graham Kennedy (1934-2005), entertainer and the "King of Television". Lodge of St Kilda, 1955.

Charles "Bud" Tingwell (1923-2009) actor and spitfire pilot.

Sir Donald Bradman AC (1908-2001), world famous Australian cricketer.

Sir Hubert Opperman (1904-1996) world's fastest bicyclist in 1930s

Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820). ”Father of Australia", botanist

Lachlan Macquarie (1762-1824), Governor of New South Wales (1810 to 1821)

Australian Prime Ministers

Sir Edmund Barton (1849-1920), 1st Australian Prime Minister (1901-1903). Initiated into Australian Lodge of Harmony No 555 English Constitution on 13 March 1878.

Sir George Reid (1845-1918), 4th Prime Minister of Australia, Lodge Centennial No. 169, UGL of NSW on 16 Nov 1896.

Sir Joseph Cook (1860-1947) 6th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated into Lodge Independent No 8 UGLNSW 12 Feb 1892.

Viscount Stanley Melbourne Bruce (1883- 1967) 8th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated at Old Melbournians Lodge No 317 UGLV on 12 June 1925.

Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page (1880-1961) 11th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated at Lodge Prince Leopold No 87 UGL NSW on 4 Dec 1917

Sir Robert Menzies (1894-1978), 12th Prime Minister of Australia, Initiated into Austral Temple Lodge No. 110, UGLV on 10 March 1910.

Sir John McEwen (1900-1980) 18th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated into Freemasonry at Lauderdale Lodge No 361 UGLV on 28 July 1926

Sir John Grey Gorton (1911-2002) 19th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated into Freemasonry at Kerrange Lodge No 100 UGLV on 5 Feb 1948.

Sir William McMahon (1908-1988) 20th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated at Lodge University of Sydney No 544 UGLNSW on 22 March 1974.

Governors General

Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs (1855–1948), Governor-General, Attorney-General, High Court Judge and politician. Elected to the first Federal Parliament of Australia. Initiated Antrim No 349 Irish Constitution, member of Australia Felix, First Grand Register (1889-1890) of UGLV

Major-General Sir Reginald Alexander Dallas Brooks KCB CMG DSO KStJ KCVO KCMG (1896-1966), Governor of Victoria, and 19th Grand Master UGLV 1951-1963. Victoria's longest-serving Governor and Masonic Grand Master “was possibly the most popular Governor in Victoria's history” initiated in the Clarke Lodge # 98 on 6 February 1950 Dallas Brooks Hall 300 Albert St East Melbourne is named after him.

Major General Jefferies AC, CVO, MC, Governor General of Western Australia (1993 –2002) and then Australia (2003–2008). Initiated in St George’s Lodge No 6 on 23 November 1994,

Sir Robert George, South Australian Governor Grand Master South Australia 1956-1958

Sir William Ellison-Macartney KCMG (1852-1924) Governor of Tasmania (1913-1917), Governor of Western Australia (1917-1920). Initiated Apollo University Lodge # 357 EC on 6 June 1872

Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson (1843-1910), Admiral and Governor of NSW (1902-1909) “He promoted 'the ultimate formation of a separate navy' for Australia” Grand Master of United Grand Lodge of New South Wales (1905-09). Initiated in Royal Sussex Lodge # 501 EC in November

Sir Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven VC DSO with bar (1872-1955) Victoria Cross Winner, and Australia's longest serving Governor-General. Grand Master of NSW Initiated into Freemasonry at Lodge St Andrews Military Lodge No 668 on 15 March 1893.

Entertainers

Herbert Henry "Smokey Dawson" MBE AM (1913 –2008), country music entertainer and community leader

Ken G Hall (1901-1994). Australian film producer and was the first Australian to win an Oscar. Initiated into Freemasonry at Lodge Anima No 421 on 12 Dec 1922.

Sportsmen

Edward (Eddie) Charlton AM (1929-2004) professional snooker and billiards champion. Initiated into Lodge Swansea No 755 UGL of NSW&ACT 14 July 1961.

Walter Albert Lindrum MBE (1898 - 1960) professional billiards player. Initiated Crimea Lodge No 432 8 Oct 1934

Henry Messenger (1883-1959), Rugby player. Initiated at Lodge Thespian No 265 in 1915

Explorers

Captain Matthew Flinders (1774-1814)...Explorer

Hamilton Hume (1797-1873) First Australian Explorer to be born here. Initiated at Leinster Marine Lodge of Australia No 266, Irish Constitution on 12 Sept 1825.

William Wentworth (1790-1872) Explorer, poet, journalist and politician. Member Lodge Amis Incorruptibles of Orient de Paris in 1818.

Lieutenant John Oxley (1783-1828) RN...Explorer. Member Lodge of Social and Military Virtues No 277 Irish Const.

Military Men of Rank or Note

Jack Lockett, was Australia's oldest man and oldest war veteran when he died and was honoured with a state funeral in Victoria. Bro Lockett died at the age of 111

Air Commodore Rex Taylor CBE, John Knox Lodge

Brigadier Sir William Hall KBE DSO ED

Major-General Sir Robert Risson DSO CBE CB OStJ Kt(1901-1992). Chair Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board. Joined Freemasonry in 1961 and 25th Grand Master of the UGLV 1974 - 1976 Initiated Baden Powell 24 July 1961

Chap-General Rev Albert Thomas Holden, 7th Grand Master UGLV 1912-1914. Initiated Grange Lodge 27 Sept 1898

Major-General Sir Alan Ramsay

Major-General HE "Pompey" Elliott CB, CMG, DSO, DCM, VD (1878–1931)

Bruce Ruxton (1926-2011), former President of Victorian RSL.

Inventors/Business People

Thomas Mayne (1901-1995) developed the drink "Milo" still sold today. Initiated into Lodge King Edward No 189 UGLV.

Harry Melbourne (1913-2007) invented the "Freddo Frog" chocolate. Initiated into Freemasonry at Victoria Park Lodge No 388 UGLV on 24 April 1944.

Fred Walker (1884-1935) best remembered for creating "Vegemite" Spread. Initiated at Austral Temple Lodge No 110 UGLV on 9 July 1919

Cecil Albert Gregory (1894-1974) Founder of "Gregory's Street Directory of Sydney and Suburbs". Initiated Lodge Arcadia No 177 UGLNSW on 12 May 1922.

Mervyn Richardson (1893-1972) invented the Victa Lawn Mower. Initiated Lodge Wentworth no 89 on 6 Feb 1945.

James Boag (c.1822-1890), brewer. Founded “J. Boag & Son” in February 1883

Adolphus Appleroth (1886-1952) wrote the famous jingle "I like aeroplane Jelly". Initiated at Lodge Vaucluse 15 March 1928.

Lt-General Sir Stanley George Savige (1890-1954) army officer and founder of Legacy

Allan Robert Stanley Vickers O.B.E., M.B., Ch.M. (1901-1967), flying doctor

Ernest Henry Farrar (1879-1952), trade unionist and politician

Sir William Alexander Dargie, CBE (1912-2003) portrait painter. Holds the current record for the most Archibald Prizes won (eight). Official artist during WW2. Initiated June 1951 Lodge Arboreal No 641 UGLV, received a 50 year Jewel of Service in the Craft.

Sir William Lawrence Baillieu (1859-1936), financier and politician. On the death of Prince Bailieu “he told his nephew that 'everything the Baillieu family has they owe to your Uncle Willie'; and one-fifth of his estate of almost £500,000 was left to the University of Melbourne Library 'in memory of William Lawrence Baillieu'.

Francis Ormond (1829-1889) philanthropist, politician, Grazier. Founded RMIT (then known as Working Men’s College) Ormond Hall at the Victorian Institute of the Blind, Ormond College at Melbourne University are named after him.

George Edwon Emery CMG (1859-) 5th Grand Master UGLV (1907-1909) Commissioner of both Savings Bank and Post Office Savings Bank, becoming General Manager when both merged, one of the founders of Rotary in Victoria Initiated Lodge if Australasia 20 Dec 1894

Sir John W Hacket KCMG (1848-1916), principal proprietor of the Western Australian Newspaper

Charles L. Riley (1855-1930) Archbishop of Perth. He served as chaplain general of the Australian army units during WWI. As Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Western Australia, “his spiritual influence in the development of the Australian lodges still exists”

Famous Queensland Freemasons                               

Prime Ministers

Sir Arthur William Fadden (1894-1972) 13th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated into Freemasonry at Caledonia Lodge No 737 Scottish Constitution in Queensland on 20 July 1915

State Premiers

Sir Samuel Walker Griffith KCMG (1845-1920), Chief Justice and Premier of Queensland (twice), Grand Master

Sir Robert Philip KCMG (1851-1922), businessman and Premier of Queensland

William Forgan-Smith (1887-1952) Premier of Queensland 1932-1940, initiated into Prince Albert Lodge No 248 UGLQLD

Governors

Sir Alan James Mansfield KCMG KCVO KStJ (1902-1980) Chief Justice, Governor of Queensland 1966-1972, chief Australian prosecutor 1946-47 at the trials of war criminals in Tokyo, Chancellor The University of Queensland 1966-76, Grand Master QLD

Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GBE, PC (1868 - 1933) British statesman served as Governor of Queensland (1905–1909), Governor of NSW (1909 -1913). Viceroy of India.  Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of NSW 1910-1913. Initiated on 1 June 1898 in Lodge of Amity # 137 EC

Sir John Goodwin KCB, CMG, DSO, Queensland Governor and Queensland Grand Master

Sir Leslie Wilson DSO GCIE GCSI. (1876-1955), Governor (1932-1946) and Grand Master of Queensland (1934-1946).  Governor of Bombay (1923-28). Initiated in Lodge Ionic # 65 NSWC on 17 January 1904

Lieutenant-General Sir John Lavarack, Grand Master QLD   Governor of Queensland from 1946-1957

Entertainers

Raymond Charles "Ray" Barrett (1927 –2009) movie actor and voice of John Tracey in “Thunderbirds”.  Initiated in 1949 in Empire Lodge #197 of the United Grand Lodge of Queensland

Explorers

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (1897-1935), aviator first to cross the Pacific from the US to Brisbane in about 1928.

Augustus C. Gregory KCMG (1819-1905) Explorer Surveyor-General of Queensland, found coal in Western Australia English District Grand Master

Law

Sir James Cockle (1819-1895) lawyer and mathematician. First Chief Justice of Queensland, Australia from 1863-79

Justice Charles Stumm KC (1965?-1929) Queensland Supreme Court Judge, Grand Master QLD 1922-1929

Architecture

John Petrie (1822-1992), architect, politician, first Mayor of Brisbane, active member of the first Masonic lodge in Queensland

Art

Henry William Mobsby (1860-1933), artist, photographer and motion picture pioneer. Took the first moving picture footage in Queensland in 1898 using Lumiere cinematograph. Member of the Lodge Indooroopilly, No.155

Other

Sir Manuel Hornibrook (1893-1970), eminent civic construction engineer, Prince Albert Lodge No 248 UGLQ

William Herbert Green OBE (1878-1968) businessman, philanthropist, politician Mayor of Townsville, Foundation District Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of North Queensland

Hugh Webster, once Professor of Physics at University of Queensland and for a time Australia's Science Rep to the United Nations. Hugh worked with Ernest Rutherford and actually 'split the atom' shortly before him, Rutherford got into print while Hugh cautiously checked and rechecked his results

T.S. Burstow (1858-1928), three times Mayor of Toowoomba, Past Grand Master Queensland

Alexander Corrie (1855-1941) One of founders of Launceston Stock Exchange. First President and one of the founders of the Brisbane Stock Exchange, First Queensland Grand Master

Sir Thomas Hiley, Queensland Treasurer, Prince Albert Lodge No 248 UGLQ