Lodge of Peace was consecrated at Longford on the 11^th of August 1857

“Lodge of Peace has flashed and flared, flickered in first one country town and then another, in this Island of Tasmania but like the Phoenix of Ancient Egypt, it has each time risen from the ashes to further lights of activity in other centre's, until, symbolical of the Dove whose name she bears, she has finally settled in this seaside town of Penguin, where she has built her house with full intention of remaining here through time immemorial.  Yet even here the fight has been hard for existence, at times very dispiriting".

                                                                       Ref  (Ockerby’s History of Lodge of Peace 1857-1957)

The story of Lodge of Peace occupies a long period in the history of Tasmania.  Back in 1957, the Late Ver. Wor. Bro. E. V. Ockerby, Past Grand Chaplain, compiled for the Centenary celebrations of Lodge of Peace, a history of the Lodge.  To compile this article, I have relied on old minute books, and quite heavily, from my readings of Ockerby’s history book.

At this time there was no Tasmanian constitution, but there were three constitutions operating in the colony, of Van Diemens Land, as Tasmania was known then.  There was the English, Irish and Scotch Constitutions.   Lodge of Peace was inaugurated under the English Constitution which had as its representative, a Provincial District Grand Master, who was Rt. Wor. R. K. Ewing  who performed the consecration ceremony

The original members were seven in number :
John Adams, Professor of Music, Lodge of Hope;
Rev. Robt. Strong, Church of England Clergyman, Lodge of Friendship, No. 613. Adelaide.
David Ritchie,  Landed Proprietor,  Lodge of Hope 
John and George Ritchie, both Landed Proprietors, both of St. Johns Lodge
Jas. Donlevey,  Merchants Lodge No. 294  Liverpool
Richard Newstead,  Hobart.  School teacher.  Lodge of Hope.

After the consecration ceremony, John Adams was installed as the Worship Master, and following on the investiture of the other officers of the Lodge, and initiation ceremony was held, making a very long and full evening.

On February the 8th. 1858, Wor. Bro. Adams resigned the Wor. Master's chair, Bro. Robert Strong was elected and installed.

In July 1858, Henry T. A. Murray was initiated.  Here began the Masonic career of one whom Lodge of Peace perhaps owes it's existence to this day.  Ockerby describes him as "One of the most colourful in the history of the Lodge".  Ten days after his initiation he was passed to the second degree, and at an emergency meeting held by the Lodge in Launceston, in April 1859, he was raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason.  Two months later he was installed as worshipful Master of the Lodge, now at Stanley. After the Launceston meeting, Lodge of peace met no more at Longford, but during it's domicile there they had three initiations, and five affiliations.

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In 1859, Peace Charter was transferred to what was then called the Horton District, which included Circular Head, Table Cape, and Emu bay, a very scattered population of four to five thousand persons. Thus it was now at Stanley.

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At a meeting of Master Masons held at Stanley on the 18th of April 1859, it was decided that the Brethren present, associate themselves as a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons under the Warrant issued by the Grand Lodge of England, constituting the Lodge of Peace 1021, that the R. W. Provincial Grand master be petitioned to remove the Lodge from Longford to Stanley

The signatories of the petition were :-
H. Duniam.   Benevolent Lodge. Teignmouth # 380 E. C.
Jas. Ferguson.   St. John's Lodge # 346  E. C.
Jos. G. Stuttard.  St. Jame's Hope Lodge  Banbury. # 873  E. C.
Jas. Smith.  Brechin.  #123  S. C.
A. H. Boys.  Aus. Felix Lodge of Hiram.  I. C.
Wm. Latham   N. Z.  Pacific Lodge.  # 758  E. C.
H. T. A. Murray.   Lodge of Peace # 1021  E. C.

      Again we refer to Bro. H. T. A. Murray's progress in Freemasonry as not only being rapid, but there is little doubt whatever Peace's very existence today is due in a very great measure to his activities energy, and enthusiasm, the Lodge owes his memory a deep and sincere gratitude.

At a formal meeting in June 1859, with Bro. Murray presiding, the Brethren surrounded the pedestal and entered into a covenant to maintain and preserve inviolate the landmarks and mysteries of the order.  Bro. Murray then opened the lodge and announced to the Brethren that the R. Wor. Provincial Grand Master had been pleased to transfer the Lodge from Longford to Stanley.  The dispensation was then read, after several candidates had been proposed, the meeting closed.

On the 18th. of June 1859, The Provincial Grand master, R. Wor. Bro. R. K. Ewing occupied the chair,  and after the minutes of the 11th. of April, and 13th and 18th June were confirmed, Bro. Murray was regularly installed as Wor. Master.  Four candidates were then balloted for separately, the Provincial Grand Master immediately initiated three of them, namely :-  J. M. Munce. J. S. Ferguson and R. Dallas.

The Wor. master informed the Brethren at the May meeting that the landlord of the premises, which the Lodge occupied, had given notice for them to quit in three months time.  In July, Wor. Bro. Murray In July, Wor. Bro. Murray was re-elected as master and appointed the same officers to assist him in ruling the Lodge.   During his first year as Master, Wor. Bro. Murray had caused 100 copies of the By-Laws to be printed. Bound copies of these were handed to the Brethren with the Masters compliments.  At the time of the Lodge Centenary, one copy, that of the late Bro. Boys was known to be in existence, as also was Bro. Dallas's Master Masons Certificate.

In August 1860, Wor. Bro. Murray and Bro's Smith and Ferguson were appointed as a committee to endeavor to arrange with the landlord of the premises for an extension of the lease, but it was unanimously resolved that the Lodge should remove to the Stanley Commercial Hotel (Dallas') for the remainder of the meeting, which was done.

In November of the same year it was resolved "That it is not necessary to the well being of the Lodge to retain their present rooms at the Freemasons Hotel, and therefore, that the lease be cancelled. Also that it was necessary to the well being of the Lodge to have no more than four meetings a year per annum, to be held quarterly, also, that the rooms should be vacated during the current week, the paraphernalia to be deposited in the store of Bro. Ferguson.

In June 1861, Bro. Jas Smith was installed as Master of the Lodge, it was in this term that the interest in the Lodge began to slacken, as on the 6th. of August 1862, after a lapse of nine months, a meeting was called when it was resolved, "That this Lodge is now without regular Officers, their chairs having been vacant by effluxion of time".  On the 11th of August, Bro. Hubert Duniam was elected as Wor. Master, duly installed at the next meeting on the following 13th of October.  meetings were held in February, and March 1863. It was during this year, in view of the number of Lodges which made voluntary surrender of their Warrants, or by erasure, that the numbers of all Lodges on the United Grand Lodge of England  were brought into consecutive order, so the Lodge was consequently altered from 1021 to 719.

Wor. Bro Duniam's term of office was apparently no happier than his predecessor, as an interval of a year and nine months occurred from March 1863 to December 1864, when it was resolved "That the Government of the Lodge should be placed in the hands of Wor. Bro. Murray, the senior Past Master of the Lodge, to act as Past Master in Charge until the regular period of election, and he appoint his acting Officers". It was during the previous December (1863) that the Trustees of the Lodge reported that they had purchased Allotment 17 (one rood) at Stanley between Pearse and Rougemont Street as a building site, for thirty pounds. They paid ten pounds deposit and agreed to pay the balance on receipt of the title deeds.

The last meeting of the Lodge at Stanley was held on the 16th. of January 1865, the minutes state that the Lodge closed in Peace and Harmony.  The Warrant was surrendered to the District Grand Master, and lay dormant for 15 years. The next entry dated 5th. November 1879, transferring Lodge of Peace from Stanley to Hamilton-on-Forth. This town is now just known as "Forth".

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The next location.   'Hamilton on Forth'

The petition praying for this transfer was signed by Brethren from a wide range of Lodges:

R. A. Murray  Harmony Lodge # 27  Nova Scotia;
John Murray, A. G. Dixon,  Jens Anthon, Daniel Anthon Yarra Yarra Lodge # 714 E. C.   
H. H. Downard, Jno Angus Campbell,  J. F. Liddle,  Robert Scott,  C.A. Burr and A Gardiner of Lodge of Hope # 618 E. C.  J. H. McCall and F. Rudge of St. John's Lodge 
#346 I. C. Pat Callaghan Orion Lodge # 415  E. C. Peter Gowans, Union Lodge # 947 E. C. Geo. Ellis  #82  Connecticut, U. S of A. Rev. J. H. Wills,  Flaming Star,  Netherlands, Alfred Filed,  Lodge of Benevolence # 184  E. C.    H. T. A. Murray Lodge of Peace #719 E. C.

Wor. Bro. Murray was a Police Magistrate, who had apparently been transferred from Longford to Stanley, and then from Stanley to Forth.  It would appear that it was his influence to a large degree, to having these transfers of Lodge of Peace effected.

The Lodge Room at Liddles' Hotel. Hamilton on Forth, was consecrated on the 19th of November 1879, by the District Grand Master, R. Wor. Bro. W. S. Hammond, who before proceeding to business, caused all present to be proved as members of the Fraternity.

R. Wor. Bro. Hammond then installed Wor. Bro. R. A. Murray as Master of the Lodge.

The Wor. Master, in returning thanks to the District Grand Master and his Officers, "Hoped that whenever in the future they heard of Lodge of peace they would never hear anything to its discredit".

Some well known coastal names appeared during the stay at Hamilton on Forth, 20th. of January 1880, Messrs T. M. Clerke, E. A. B. Walker, Wm. Drew were initiated.  E. C. N. Braddon was proposed by Bro. A. G. Dixon, seconded by Wor. Bro. H. T. A. Murray. This brother, later was to become better known as Sir Edward Braddon.  Farmer, Premier of Tasmania, a founding father of the Australian first Commonwealth Parliament, and one of the architects of our federal Constitution of Australia, a document that has already survived it's first one hundred years with little change.  The Federal electorate of Braddon in the North West area of Tasmania is now named after him.

At this time, mention was made of the inconvenience of meeting at the Hotel, it was decided to approach the Odd Fellows Lodge which had a hall in the course of construction with a view to renting their premises.  twelve months later, Lodge of peace moved to this hall at a rental of Twelve Pounds a per annum, inclusive of lighting and cleaning.  Thus the sixth meeting place was born for the now well traveled Lodge.  Also note worthy was the fact that Wor. Bro. H. T. A. Murray resigned his membership consequent to his removal to a distance. There is no written record within the Lodge to where he went, or what became of him, yet Lodge of Peace owes so much to this individual.

During the next Twelve months, three well known gentlemen of the coast were initiated, these being, G. B. Moon of Don.  Thos. Whiseman, licensed Victualler of Emu Bay, (Burnie) and H. K. Wells, Chemist of Leven (Ulverstone). These three were to play an important part in the history of the Coastal areas and Masonry.  Noted in the minutes  was the purchase of one case of Whiskey for Two Pounds Ten shillings.

At the December 1884 meeting, the Wor. Master intimated that the Mersey Lodge under the Irish Constitution would be opened on the 27th, at Formby (Devonport), he invited Brethren to attend the dedication of that Lodge.

In 1887, an invitation was received for Lodge of Peace to join in the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone of the Devon Cottage hospital. An invitation was received from Mersey Lodge to attend the laying of the foundation Stone of the Giblin Memorial hall Formby (Devonport) on the 1st. January 1889.

On the 6th. of November 1889, a requisition was signed by ten members of the Lodge to call a meeting for the purpose of discussing the matter of transferring the Lodge to Ulverstone.  No records remain of this meeting, or even if it was held, the minute book along with other papers of the Lodge when the house of the Secretary  were destroyed by fire on the 4th. of January 1892.  However, in the year of 1906, Lodge of Peace had the pleasure of sponsoring the creation of Leven Lodge at Ulverstone.

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On the 26th. of June 1890, the Grand Lodge of Tasmania was formed, Lodge of Peace became # 7 on the register of the Grand Lodge of Tasmania.

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An invitation was received on the 18th. of June 1895 from Bro. S. C. Ellis for Lodge of Peace to be present at the inauguration of Emu in Burnie.

The Jubilee of Lodge of Peace was held on the  18th of December 1907.

With the Lodges of Emu, Mersey and Leven coming into being, there was a steady call off from Peace Brethren in the respective towns.  On the 23r. of May 1910, Bro. R. A. Pullen moved that  Lodge of Peace be transferred to Penguin. This was seconded by Bro. W. C. Stewart who felt it was in the best interest of Freemasonry.  However, caution prevailed for the time, such as all members were not present, also a suitable room had to be found etc.

A committee was formed comprising Wor. Bro. Clerke, Hays, Wellard, Chapman,  Bro's Whitchurch, Stewart and Pullen.  They reported that a suitable room had been procured, they formed the unanimous opinion, "That it was in the best interests of the Lodge to transfer to Penguin".

On the 26th. of September, at an emergency meeting, this resolution was passed unanimously.

A letter from the Grand Secretary was received to the effect that in connection with the transfer of Peace Charter to Penguin, The M. Wor. Grand Master had expressed approval, the procedure as carried out was in order.  A further letter was received from the Grand Secretary on the 16th. of January 1911 stating that no removal of the charter could take place without the written consent of Lodges Emu and Leven. Thus started two years of wrangling with Leven.  Many motions were passed, letters exchanged, but for some time Leven did not relent. Amalgamation was proposed, and rejected.  Peace had incurred expenditure by adding a room to the then Penguin Baptist Church to be used as a meeting room and so on.

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Now to Penguin.

M. Wor. Bro Charles Ramsey worked very hard to help remove the "Masonic obstacles" to the transfer to Penguin on the 25th. of November the first meeting was held at Penguin as Ockerby wrote, "we have from that date, lived on in the greatest harmony and fraternal love of this present love with our sister Lodge of Leven".

As the Lodge progressed, the room at the Baptist Church became inadequate for meetings, so a move was made to the Penguin Court House, now the present day Senior Citizens Club Rooms.

Notable events at the August 1914 meeting was that Mersey intended to lay the foundation stone of the proposed Masonic Temple in Devonport in September of that year.

A move was made that banned all liquor from the festive board during the  currency of the war.  (That was WW1).

In 1916 it was proposed that a sum of on guinea be set aside from all initiations as a nucleus of a building fund, and in January 1919, a sum of 10 guineas was received from the Grand Master to this cause, in 1924 a building fund account was opened with the Launceston Bank of Savings.  The account proved to be a delicate child.

Over the 20's, a number of initiations took place, O. C. Mather, N.C. Booth, and A. C. R. Overall were initiated, in 1921, Wor. Bro. R. S. Thorne and bro. Albert Quinn affiliated, J. C. Hales was initiated then in 1922 H. E. Whittle was initiated.  These members played a considerable part in the more recent history of the Lodge, as well in the progress of Penguin. Overall's membership spanned 71 years, Thorne was Secretary for 23 years, Quinn occupied every position except organist over a time span of thirty five years.

Oc Mather was the local delivery man for more years than the writer could know, Booth a well known farmer, Bob Thorne was head school teacher for many years at the local school, teaching not only the writer of this story, but his late father as well. Quinn was Council Clerke again for what seemed a life time. Jack Hales was a builder, so many a home still standing around town, has his mark on them, Harry Whittle was a carrier and contractor, must have knocked over many gate posts when delivering to Jack Hales building sites. Athol Overall was a nursery man of some standing in the area.  The lodge community has been a part of this town in so many ways.

In July 1929, a notice of motion was given that "Owing to the small attendance at Lodge meetings, and the apparent lack of interest in Lodge work, the question of voluntary surrendering the Charter be considered".  Apparently this had the effect of arousing the Brethren to keener activities as the motion was withdrawn.

In August 1936, the Lodges liquid assets were 200 pounds, it was proposed to build a Temple for approximately 500 pounds. A Building Committee was formed comprising hales, Owens, Poke, Thorne, Trethewie, Whittle, J and A Overall, and Wiely. The foundation stone was laid by the M. Wor. Grand master Bro. Stanley Dryden, and the oration given by . Wor. Bro. Ven. Archdeacon Atkinson. The first Master in the present rooms was Wor. Bro. Wiely.

Membership in 1857 was seven.  At the end of first century, 112, now less than 30. 

As the years roll on, life around us has changed, attitudes have changed, where there were very few service clubs around in the 30's and 40's after the second world war, there was a big influx of membership, but with so many pressures on society, more entertainment, TV and so on, Lodge of peace is in common with many organisations, Masonic and others, finding it difficult to continue, but there is still a spark, a hope, that as we approach our bi centenary, we shall again pick up.

May I conclude by again a quote from Ockerby which also has some reference to parts of the Masonic Ritual. This was written at the time of the Lodges Centenary.

"But what of the future, what of the next century?. we will not be here, nor will our children, but there is a possibility that our children's children will be here, and a probability that some of them may be members of this Lodge of Peace. and as our foundation was laid for us in 1857 should not we provide for posterity by raising on that foundation a superstructure  perfect in its parts, honourable to the builders, by admitting those, and only those who are fit and proper persons to be made Masons; Just, Upright, and Free men of mature age, sound judgment and strict morals; by the fortitude and Justice. As we look back over the past, and express our gratitude, with all reverence and humility, for the favours already received, let us look forward to the future in the hope that the G.A.O.T.U. will cement and adorn this Lodge with every Moral and Social Virtue.

The writer gives thanks to the work of the late Wor. Bro. E. V. Ockerby for the research he has done towards this article. Much of the article is direct from a small booklet he produced for the centenary celebrations as well as research from old Minute books..