Masonic Buildings - Gippsland - Korumburra
Ten minutes down the road from Coal Creek Historic Lodge Room is the Korumburra Masonic Centre at 25 Bridge Street Korumburra Victoria. The town currently has a population of about 5,000 and a brother was good enough to open the lodge for an inspection. He showed great pride in the preservation and operation of the lodges meeting in this small county town.
I did not obtain any history on the building which lacks a plaque in its frontage. The facade is obviously art deco and inter-war, but may cover earlier buildings. The large frontage is testament to the important place Freemasonry had in the town when the facade was erected.
If you have a history of this building, I would be pleased to publish it, but for now the below serves as a photographic essay on the interior.
The Honour Boards may prove useful to historians and researchers. Images below can be clicked on for a closer look.
Honour Boards include
Past Masters Board Lord Brassey Lodge 180
Lord Brassey Lodge 180 World War Service Board including KIA
Past Masters Board Lodge Korumburra 175
Past Masters Board South Gippsland Lodge 23
It is not often I include photos of people on this site. Indeed, I have to spend a lot of time dodging around them to get photos of lodge rooms clear of them, but I include the above because it was a very happy moment.
People have all sorts of misconceptions about Freemasonry, but our ladies and our children came to see the Korumburra lodge room with us. Trying to get a clear photograph of the Master's chair proved tough, and while waiting I snapped the above three smiling faces while I listed to Spanish being spoken behind me by one of my brothers, and Filipino being spoken by others (thanks for the lift to that brother's wife!) but above I see Asian and Mediterranean smiles on the children of my brothers.
One of the things I love about Freemasonry is how it unites diverse people. Those that think Freemasonry is a group of old white Protestants are truly mistaken. Freemasonry embraces people of diverse faiths and spiritual traditions, the fathers of the above have brothers who are Christians, Jewish, Buddhist, and Muslim - and it will shock those who are ignorant of Freemasonry and stereo-type it that the majority of Christians in this visiting lodge are Catholics. That two of the daughters of our members giggled together as they played on the Master's Chair can do nothing but warm the good Freemason's heart.
