Lodge Pambula Daylight. No 1000 UGL of NSW & ACT

Pambula Daylight Lodge meets - First Friday, 10am at Pambula Masonic Centre,
Toalla Street, Pambula, NSW. (except January)

Visiting brethren are always most welcome particularly those on
holiday in the area.

Regional Grand Councillor (Region 10) - RW Bro Mike Dalton. PJGW
(Click here for Region 10 Newsletter)
(Click here for Region 10 web site)
(Click here for Region 10 Lodge meetings, date, time and work)

W Bro Mal Niemeier being presented with his Installed Master's certificate by RW Bro Warren Bruce, PJGW, representing the Grand Master. All Lodges in District 105 were represented together with brethren from District 104 and Canberra. Except for a slight clothing malfunction affecting one brother, the evening was enjoyed by all who attended. Some 50 brethren and ladies and visitors attended a very successful festive board following the ceremony.

Thr Regional Grand Councillor, RW Bro Mike Dalton, PJGW, presenting W Bro Neil Dawson, the outgoing Master, with his Past Master's jewel.

The Grand Master's Representative, RW Bro Warren Bruce, PJGW, presents the new Worshipful Master, Bro Ron Jaa Jaa, with his installed master's certificate in the comapny of some 15 Grand Lodge Officers and brethren from Canberra and District 105 lodges. Ron was very capably installed by his predecessor, VW Bro Kim Taylor, PDGIW with VW Bro Henry Nichol from Canberra assisting as Grand Director of Ceremonies. Ron and his team of officers are looking forward to a very active year.

Grand Lodge officers looking resplendant in their Summer dress on the last full day of daylight saving time.

The 20th anniversary of the consecration of the Lodge was celebrated in fine style with the installation of VW Bro Charles de Rochefort in the presence of the consecrating Grand Master, MW Bro Ron Johnson representing the Grand Master. Some 60 brethren filled the lodge room including 21 Grand Lodge officers. The Master of Bairnsdale Daylight lodge led a fraternal visit of 16 brethren from our sister lodge. Also present were members of Lodge Eurobodalla Daylight, Lodge Baddeley, Lodge Bega Remembrance, Lodge Cooma Monaro, The Mountain Lodge, and several Canberra Lodges. The installing Master was W Bro Kevin Mulcahy who had occupied the chair of King Solomon for the previous four years.

W Bro Charles de Rochefort presenting the Master of Bairnsdale Daylight Lodge with the travelling DC's Baton.

Following the presentation to W Bro Kevin Mulcahy of his Past Master's jewel by MW Bro Ron Johnson, Kevin was also congratulated on his achievements during his four year term by the Regional Grand Counsellor, RW Bro Mike Dalton, and the District Grand Inspector of Workings, VW Bro Malcolm Privett.

It had been planned that the new Worshipful Master would have been the founding Master VW Bro Donald More but unfortunately ill health made it impossible for Don to be reinstalled. VW Bro Charles de Rochefort, a foundation member, graciously accepted nomination as Worshipful Master Elect at very short notice to replace Don for the ensuing twelve months.

Following Charles' reinstallation some 72 brethren and ladies enjoyed a wonderful installation banquet. Ron and Charles cutting the birthday cake. A wonderful day was had by all who attended.

Located some 50 kms north of the Victorian border on the beautiful Sapphire Coast of South-East NSW, and only 5 kms South of Merimbula which the center of this major tourist area

Pambula was discovered, by the white people that is, by George Bass on 18 December 1797. The resident Aborigines referred to it as Pambula, meaning "two waters", a name reflecting an harmonious relationship with the environment. It became popular for a very lucrative off-shore industry, whaling, as part of the Imlay Brothers empire at Twofold Bay in the early 1800's

It has also been a rich farming area, gold mining until cyanide became too expensive for dissolving the quartz, maize growing, oats, horses and now it is a quiet little village with craft shops and several historic buildings of which our Masonic Lodge is one. Pambula has a small population of around 1,500 and can be referred to nowadays as a quiet little rural town on what used to be a bend in the Princes Highway. While the town may not abound in great architectural treasures, it does have surviving cottages and buildings that are authentically colonial.

Perhaps the most historic building is the house which Syms Covington built. As an 18 year old, he sailed with Charles Darwin as a cabin boy and ship's fiddler on the "Beagle". He emigrated to Australia in 1840 and took up residence in Pambula as the local Postmaster. His house was at one time the doctor's residence and is now a quality restaurant.

The Lodge was originally the Pambula School which comprised one room. The building is quite small and is no longer used for lodge meetings as extensions were added years later to house the temple and a large South. The original school house was built on the river flats and the flood of 1870 made the building uninhabitable so the children were transferred to a room at the rear of Mrs Baddeley's tannery. Because of strong community support, a new school on a site opposite the Court House was completed in 1872. The contractors guaranteed that the eighteen inch rubble walls would "withstand the strongest winds". Unfortunately, there was no guarantee that the school system would withstand the turbulence buffeting educational circles - dissention was not confined to Pambula.

Pambula Masonic Center - History

The first meeting of Lodge Baddeley 205 took place on 7 July 1892 "...amid a large and brilliant concourse of brethren worthy of the opening of the first lodge south of Moruya on the coast district".

Ninety six years later in 1988, Lodge Pambula Daylight 1000 was consecrated and currently shares the Center with Lodge Baddeley. The latter began as the result of a petition, raised by the Mountain Lodge (190) of Bombala, which was sent to Grand Lodge by Charles Henry Baddeley 1810-1892. He is recognized as founder of Lodge Baddeley and is also shown as the first W.M. for the Mountain Lodge, Bombala on Warrant No 920 issued 23 August 1862 by the UGL of England.

Initially Lodge Baddeley held its meetings in the Pambula School of Arts and although attempts were made to become independent, this situation continued for twenty-one years. From 24 June 1913 lodge meetings were held in the (old) school building (shown above), which still stands as a monument to the lodge's history.

In 1948 a building fund was opened and this paved the way for a new lodge room. Member numbers had risen significantly after the war and this was also reflected in the number of visitors to the lodge. By 1957 the new lodge room had been completed and it was dedicated by the Grand Master in August that year. During 1978-79 steps were taken to replace the old South. This was completed during 1980 and was dedicated by the Grand Master in April of that year.

Other lodges in the area of District 105 are Lodge Bega Remembrance, 220 (1895), Lodge Monaro (Cooma), 164 (1865), The Mountain Lodge Bombala, 190 (1862)

Hanging in the Lodge room of the Pambula Masonic Center is a lithograph of numerous masonic symbols, coats of arms, etc. It is dated 1882 for copyright registraion and was printed by the Brotherhood Professional Art Society, Boston, USA. Two names appear on the bottom and can only be read on the original with a magnifying glass eg HA Fowler and TC Fielding (interesting initials). Another name at the right bottom under the pillar reads JH Daniels Pr, Boston. Presumably the printer. The lithograph is approximately A1 size and the image on the next page was obtained by scanning 6 times with an A4 size scanner and joining the pieces with photoshop. The full sized image is 2524x 2739 pixels which is a bit large for a web page.

The lithograph belongs to Lodge Baddeley, the owners of the Center, and it has been around for so long that none of the present members can shed any light on where it came from. The symbols illustrated so beautifully cover many orders and degrees so we are fairly certain that it was not a tracing board for one particular order. If anyone reading this has anything to contribute by way of information about its reason for being, please drop us an email using this link

Lodge Bega Remembrance - meets at the Bega Masonic Center, 3rd Wednesday, 7.30pm
Secretary - W Bro Ray Spencer. 02 6494 4063.

Lodge Baddeley - meets at Pambula Masonic Center, 2nd Friday, 7.30pm
Secretary - VW Bro Ron Doyle. 02 6495 7127

Lodge Cooma-Monaro - meets at the Cooma Masonic Center, 1st Friday, 7.30pm
Secretary - RW Bro Bruce Davies. 02 6452 2926

The Mountain Lodge - meets at the Bombala Masonic Temple 2nd Saturday, 7.30pm
Secretary - W Bro Kevin Turnbull. 02 6458 3431

Please sign our visitors book before leaving. Your comments, even brief ones will be appreciated.

Domain name and web site owned and managed by VW Bro Kevin Mulcahy.
Pambula history taken from "Pambula's Colonial Days" by Julie Higgins.
Lodge History taken from 100 year booklet on Lodge Baddeley by W Bro Peter Rice

Some of the photos are courtesy of RW Bro Bruce Davies. PSGW, of Lodge Cooma Monaro.