Masonic Buildings - Kyneton Masonic Centre

Kyneton Masonic Centre and Zetland Lodge No 25 UGLV – A Brief History

Lodge Devotion held a meeting on Sat 18 March 2023 for an Initiation of a new member, Bro Furkan.

This meeting took place at Kyneton Masonic Centre “Zetland Hall” at 3 Piper St, Kyneton VIC 3444.

This Masonic Building is well known for its Egyptian themed murals. 

ZETLAND LODGE No 25 and its Meeting Places – A Brief History.

Author – not noted. (Some corrections made).

The inauguration of the Zetland Lodge took place at the ‘Lodge” room at the Junction Hotel on Saturday 7th May in 1859.

The Zetland Lodge, Kyneton, continued to meet at the Junction Hotel until 1862.

In May of that year, Bro Nordenbery offered the Lodge, free of charge, land on the corner of Mollison Street and Post Office Creek. A condition of the offer was that building commenced within twelve months.

However, an emergency meeting held on 28th May decided that the Robert Burns Hotel in Wedge Street would be a more suitable meeting place and the Lodge transferred there in June 1862. The Lodge met at the Robert Burns Hotel for only twelve months, before moving back to the Junction Hotel in 1863.

In 1866 Manchester United Lodge (MUIOOF) notified Zetland that they would let their new hall in Piper Street for Lodge meetings. Their offer was accepted at a rental of £10 a year. The Zetland Lodge held its first meeting in the Manchester Unity Hall in May 1866 and continued to meet there for ten year until 1876.

In May 1876 it was proposed, seconded and agreed that Lodge meetings move from the Manchester Unity Hall back to the Junction Hotel to ascertain whether such a change would be conducive to the better encouragement and wellbeing of the lodge. However, after meeting at the Junction Hotel for a year, the Lodge moved back to the Manchester Unity Hall in Piper Street.

In December 1899 it was moved that the Zetland Lodge move to the new Masonic Hall in Yaldwin Street and the Lodge held its first meeting there in March 1900.

In 1905 rent at the Yaldwin Street Masonic Hall had risen to £21 per year.

Zetland Lodge made an offer of £400 to the Manchester United (MUIOOF) Lodge to purchase their Hall in Piper Street. The offer was accepted and in January, a notice of motion under rule 157, “That the Lodge be removed from the Masonic Hall, Yaldwin Street to the Odd Fellows Hall Piper Street” was carried by the Brethren of the Zetland Lodge. It was also agreed that the MUIOOF would continue to have the use of the Hall or ten years, at a cost of £8 per year. The purchase was funded by debentures.

THE MURALS

The murals on the walls of Zetland Lodge were painted by Bro Thomas Fisher Levick who was at one time Art Master at the Working Men’s College, (now RMIT University) he began the work in 1906, after approval had been given.

The painting at the back of the JW Chair was taken from the Second Book of Kings. It features a Temple of Isis on the River Nile. This Temple has been taken down and rebuilt above the water line of the Aswan Dam. Our temple was designed on exactly the same lines. The Great Sphinx at Gigek, Egypt is near the entrance door of the Temple.

The Egyptian seven on the South wall was also painted in 1906 and it is believed it was pained as a scene without historical background. The War Memorial for 19-14-18, painted by WBro Levick in 1919, takes up part of this scene.

The very beautiful painting of the pyramids, on the North wall, was done at a much later date.

Recently members of the Royal Historical Society inspected the painting and were impressed with its beauty and perspective.

Kyneton artist Bro Thomas Levick completed the lodge room paintings in 1906-1909: the Temple of Isis at Philae, the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids. Bro Levick presented the Master’s canopy to the lodge in 1911, also later adding a Great War Honour Roll to the painting of the Temple Isis at Philae.

The Zetland Lodge Room interior carries Heritage overlay and National Trust listing.