Famous Australian Freemasons

This page is a short list of Famous Australian Freemasons.


A longer and very complete list of Notable and Famous Australian Freemasons on our web site can be accessed by clicking here.

  • Sir Edmund Barton (1849-1920), 1st Australian Prime Minister, P/M from 1901 to 1903. Initiated into Australian Lodge of Harmony No 555 English Const 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 No87 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 1920.

  • 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

  • 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

  • Sir William Clarke, former Chief Justice of Victoria, first GM of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria

  • Herbert Henry "Smokey Dawson" MBE AM, country music entertainer and community leader

  • Sir Donald Bradman (1908-2001), World Famous Australian Cricketer. Initiated Lodge Tarbolton No 12 UGLNSW 26 Nov 1929.

  • Sir Hubert Opperman, (1904-1996) World's Fastest Bicyclist in 1930s; Government Minister; High Commissioner to Malta. Initiated into Stonnington Lodge No 368 UGLV on 23 Dec 1925.

  • John Treloar (1928- ) one of the fastest sprinters in the world. Initiated at Lodge Frank McDowell No 362 on 4 March 1948.

  • Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (1897-1935), aviator who was first to cross the Pacific from the US to Brisbane in about 1928. He was a MM of a Brisbane lodge, and, as a matter of interest, it is his MM apron which is perambulated in the memorial service each Anzac Day in the Brisbane Memorial Masonic Centre. Initiated at Gascoyne Lodge on 9 April 1925.

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

  • 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

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

  • Edward (Eddie) Charlton (1929-2004) Professional Snooker and Billiards Champion. Initiated into Lodge Swansea No 755 UGL of NSW&ACT 14 July 1961.

  • John William Pilbeam Goffage (1909-1971) ( "Chips Rafferty") Film Actor. Initiated at Lodge Literature No 500 UGLNSW in 1957.

  • Charles "Bud" Tingwell (1923-2009) Actor and Spitfire Pilot. Initiated Lodge Carinya No 785 on 27 Jan 1950.

  • Tommy Woodcock, trainer of the famous horse Phar Lap.

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

  • Col Dr Sir Weary Dunlop, Doctor in WWII Japanese POW Changi Railway - saved hundreds including Sir William Clavel (author of Shogun); Since WWII built links with Asia

  • Graham Kennedy, Entertainer and the "King of Television". Lodge of St Kilda, 1955

  • Mei Quong Tart...1st Chinese Initiate in Australia.

  • Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820).."Father Of Australia"..Botanist

  • 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

  • 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

  • Frederick Peters (1836-1937) founded Peter's Icecream. Initiated into Terre Coupee Lodge No 204 Grand Lodge of Indiana on 27 Dec 1890

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

  • 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 Const on 12 Sept 1825

  • Lt William Dunstan, Victoria Cross Winner

  • John Bisdee (1869-1930), first Australian soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross (in Boer War, South Africa). Initiated Lodge Bulwer No 1068 England on 6 Jan 1917

  • Lt Neville Howse (1863-1930), Australia's first Victoria Cross Winner and only medical member of the Australian Forces to be awarded the VC. Initiated Lodge Ophir on 29 Aug 1901

  • Arthur Blackburn (1892-1960) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated Peter's Collegiate Lodge No 58 South Australia on 9 Dec 1918

  • Walter Brown (1885-1942) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated Lodge Godeldrie No 558 on 7 April 1931

  • George Cartwright (1894-1978) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated Lodge Merrylands No 479 on 1 Nov 1923

  • William Currey (1895-1948) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated into Lodge Carlton No 382 on 11 March 1930

  • John Edmondson (1914-1941) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated into Lodge Liverpool No 197 on 3 April 1935

  • James Gordon (1907-1986) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated at Lodge United Service No 307 WA on 2 April 1959

  • Blair Wark (1894-1941) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated at Lodge Lane Cove No 338 on 8 Nov 1921

  • James Gorman (1834-1882) Victoria Cross Winner initiated at The Leinster Marine Lodge Of Australia in 1878

  • John Whittle (1882-1946) Victoria Cross Winner. Initated at Lodge Sydney St Andrew no 7 on 1 Nov 1923

  • James Rogers (1873-1961) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated at Lodge Robbie Burns No 88 UGLV on 11 Nov 1913

  • Hugo Throssell (1884-1933) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated at Lodge Bulwer No 1068 England on 15 June 1917

  • William Donovan Joynt (1889-1986) Victoria Cross Winner. Initiated at Old Melbournians Lodge no 317 UGLV on 12 Oct 1923

  • Lord Gowrie (1872-1955) Victoria Cross Winner, DSO with bar and Australia's longest serving Governor-General. Initiated into Freemasonry at Lodge St Andrews Military Lodge No 668 on 15 March 1893

  • Corporal Cameron Stewart Baird VC, MG (1981-2013) Victoria Cross Winner, Initiated on the 23rd September 2006 in Lodge Thespian No. 256 ULG NSW & ACT.

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Note -This list uses reliable sources and has been compiled over years. If you reproduce it, we ask you site our web site as the source. It began as an article in Devotion News and has grown over years. We do not add a name unless the person is deceased or agreed to be in the public eye as a Freemason and their name comes from a reliable source. The Sources of this list are many. For full details including references and footnotes, click here, the full list is on the page, footnotes in the attachment.

Famous Australian Freemasons
Famous Australian Freemasons
Famous Australian Freemasons Victoria Cross