Sandridge Marine Lodge Centenary Banquet
The local branch of the Freemasons, Sandridge Marine Lodge No 21 can trace its origins to the Chusan Hotel, Bay Street in the months or weeks leading up to a meeting held at the Ship Hotel, Bay Street on 15 December 1857.
The meeting followed the drawing up of the following agreement.
We the undersigned residents of and otherwise interested in Sandridge being desirous of forming a Freemasons Lodge in this locality hereby agree to hold ourselves in readiness to join and support such Lodge as far as practicable. Signed by:-
W H Gresham, Andrew Plummer, James Greenwood, George Barras, Nelson Burns, George S Compton, James S Stafford, W Wright (HMC), James W Wright, Henry Glynn, James Locke, John K Collins, Phillip J Tuffnell, W T Boyd, A Smith, John Stanley, Ralph Thew, Thomas Allen, William Patterson, William C Tallant, J W Torrey, James Walters and James A Crane.
On that December evening in 1857, the meeting determined that it was expedient to establish a Freemasons Lodge in Sandridge, that application be made to the Right Worshipful Colonial Grand Master for a warrant of constitution for such lodge, the Lodge be called the Sandridge Marine Lodge and meetings should be on the Wednesday night immediately preceding the full moon of each month.
Subsequently at the Chusan Hotel on 1 July 1858 the date of the opening of the Sandridge Marine Lodge was set at 9 July 1858.
The following Brethren, all members of existing Lodges, signed the Warrant of Constitution.
J W Torrey, PM; William Patterson, John Thomas Britton, James Locke, William Hutchinson Gresham, W Wright, John K Collins, Henry Glynn, Nelson Burns, M Stokoe, James J Anderson, Andrew Plummer, Samuel Gregory, George Spencer Compton, George Barras, James Wilson Wright, William Coffin Tallant, James Sexton Stafford and Phillip John Tuffnell.
J W Torrey was installed as the inaugural Worshipful Master of the Lodge at the opening meeting.
Fast-forward 100 years to 1958: Andrew Jack Mellett was the Worshipful Master of the Lodge and the Secretary, J U Porritt compiled an 80-page history of the Lodge. To celebrate they held a Centenary Banquet at the Hotel Federal, Collins Street, Melbourne on 16 July 1958.
The banquet menu is reproduced below.
As was usual on these occasions there were a number of toasts following by the singing of Auld Lang Syne and the National Anthem.
References:
Porritt, J U (compiler), 1958. The First One Hundred Years 1858-1958: Sandridge Marine Lodge No 21. 1st ed. Melbourne: G W Green & Sons Pty Ltd (Printers).
