It was reported to
the Editor of Devotion News and Webmaster (same Brother) by numerous
Freemasons that this lodge room has been closed due to access
difficulties after local council (South Gippsland Shire Council)
took over the management of Coal Creek. The building had been
transported and donated by local by Freemasons who also have a long
association quietly assisting in the maintenance of the park. A
letter written in Nov 2016 to Local Council and a Local Business
Association pointing out that the Lodge room provided an attraction
for Lodges and their families to holiday in the Korumburra, and that
would be an economic loss, to say nothing of the historical
association, is yet to replied to.
We have now placed this letter on
the web here.
Nick C, Damien H and Jordan M are all members of both Lodge Devotion and Lodge Evolution and attended Evolution’s trip to Coal Creek in March 2016.
The local history of black coal started in South Gippsland when coal was accidentally discovered near the present site of Coal Creek when James Brown’s horse, watering near the creek, kicked a sizable piece of coal free from the surface in 1872. Some years later, coal began to be mined becoming the first successful commercial coalfield in Victoria. The region subsequently became “responsible for breaking the stranglehold New South Wales had on Victoria’s industries”. Coal mining saw the development of the South Gippsland railway and the rural settlement which was accelerated by the dairy and timber industries. The mine at Coal Creek operated from the 1880s to the 1958, when operations ceased.
Coal Creek Community Park & Museum was initially created to preserve the unique history of coal, with sixty-three buildings telling the story of coal mining, dairy farming and local commerce from first settlement in 1820 to 1920.
The lodge room is tiny. Evolution’s organist was in attendance with Devotion’s ADC ( also holding that position at Evolution) shuffling around the lodge room in slow Geisha steps to try and keep time with the music before arriving at a Pedestal, the Senior Warden’s occupied by our own Nick C with Jordan M in the East acting as Chaplain, surprising us by being able to recite prayers by memory – I don’t think he’s ever sat in that chair before and goes to show how much active Freemasons can learn by paying attention in lodge; follow his example Brothers !
Dinner was prepared by the local Scouts on the lawn. A great idea, it supported them and there was some black belt CWA apple pie and other dessert makers amongst the ladies supporting the scouts.
Coal Creek Community Park and Museum has a web site here http://www.coalcreekvillage.com.au/