Masonic Buildings - Queenscliff Masonic Centre & Cosmopolitan Lodge No 96 UGLV

was paid out in discretionary grants and benefits, and charitable donations. The society provides its members with financial products - including tax exempt savings which are only available via friendly societies and also offer insurance policies against sickness and death, and group insurance to several police forces in the United Kingdom, the Police Service of Northern Ireland being one of the largest, and its Guernsey business mainly consists of medical insurance. The Foresters Hall of Queenscliff was one of many in Australia, the first branch of the Order (known as a Court) was established in Victoria in 1849. Today in Victoria, the Foresters Friendly Society is a public company incorporated under the Corporations Act, as well as being a life insurance company registered under the Life Insurance Act providing investment and insurance products. There remains a “Forrester’s Hall” in Collingwood, on the corner of Smith and Gertrude Street, built in 1868 for Court Perseverance 2727. The Argus of 25 March 1868 reports the Laying of its Foundation Stone – and how the Foresters then crossed the road to the Freemasons Arms Hotel. The Freemason’s Arms is long gone – but the Foresters continues to operate as a pub and is part of the rich Fraternal History of the Collingwood and Abbotsford area. We should go there for a beer !

In the early days of Lodge Cosmopolitan, it met at the St Georges Church of England Grammar School (1882-1902), more commonly referred to as the Sunday School (The rent was 9 pounds per year). St George the Martyr Church And Parish Hall notes that “The Church and Parish Hall are socially significant for their associations with important cultural groups such as the Cosmopolitan Masonic Lodge Queenscliff (over 50 years),” and other groups such as Orange and ANA Lodges and served as Queenscliff Borough Council Chambers 1899. One would assume the Grammar School was within the same complex, the Church, Parish Halls and original Vicarage were all attributed to the Melbourne architect, Albert Purchas. The Church was constructed in 1863-64 of locally quarried limestone, with a stuccoed brick tower added in 1878 and further extensions made in 1887 and 1958. An association with “the prominent Baillieu family”, a name any student of Melbourne University will recognise, but the Baillieu’s also have Masonic connections.

The name “Lodge Cosmopolitan” is common and used by non-Masonic Fraternities. I am aware of three ”Cosmopolitan Lodges”” in Victoria, one being our Masonic Lodge. Loyal Cosmopolitan Lodge was an International Order of Odd Fellows, Manchester Unity Lodge (IOOFMU) which met in Ballarat while there was a Cosmopolitan Lodge, No. 2, P.A.F.S. in Port Melbourne. I did not recognise the PAFS anonym and discovered it stands for Protestant Alliance Friendly Society, and later PAFSA the “a” being of Australasia. This was a mutual provident society for interdenominational Protestants from the second half of the Nineteenth Century. This was national, but perhaps not working under a central body until later, being described as “kindred” societies. It seems it began in 1871 in Redfern, by 1874 was in Queensland, and Victoria, and by 1878 there was a national body. The PAFSA is yet another example of how vibrant fraternalism was in Australia in the 1800’s and 1900’s.

Our Masonic Cosmopolitan Lodge in Queenscliff had a strong association with the Queenscliff Fort. Many members fought in wars throughout the 20th Century. The commanding officer of the Royal Australian Artillery at Fort Queenscliff – Brother LtCol. Charles E Umphileby died of wounds at the Boer War in South Africa and a minute is recorded in memory of Brother Umphileby killed in action. There are newspaper reports of funerals of officers form the Fort where the lodge was in attendance to mourn a lost Brother. One interesting one was Captain George James Fitz-Robert Boothby (1861 1889) was a Scottish amateur golfer who played in the late 19th century and tied for third place in the 1882 Open Championship (Scotland). Boothby later moved to Victoria and became a Victorian Artillery Militia member. The Brethren of the Cosmopolitan Freemasons' Lodge attended his funeral.