6 NSW Masonic Club October 2018 125th Birthday Celebrations ! The auspicious occasion of the Club’s 125th Anniversary was celebrated with over a week of celebrations, and got off to a flying start on Monday 10th September with a staff lunch, complete with a 125th anniversary logo cake ! This was a fitting acknowledgement of the contribution made by our staff to the success of the Club. A New Members’ Night on Wednesday 12th was a meaningful experience for new members, who shared their reasons for joining, and their expectations of their membership. Paul, our dynamic General Manager, escorted the new members on a tour of the building. The highlight of the celebrations was the official dinner on Thursday 13th which was attended by His Excellency, The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor of New South Wales, with Mrs Hurley, and the most Worshipful Brother, Derek Robson AM, Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of NSW/ACT, with his partner, Ms Gael Knox. A warm welcome was also given to the Club’s Patron, Worshipful Brother Tony Lauer APM, together with members and guests, all celebrating 125 years since the Club’s founding members met at the Royal Hotel, Five Ways, Paddington, on 15th September 1893. My, how the Club has grown over the years since then! The Cadena String Trio provided delightful entertainment, and the thoughtfully planned and prepared dinner was delicious. The President’s speech and presentation on the Club’s history, and the history of the Club’s building, which turned 91 years old in the same week, was very informative. The President also gave an overview of the significant investment about to be undertaken in the rejuvenation of the Hotel rooms, which will be followed similarly with the Members’ floors and spaces. The commemorative plaque was presented, and all guests received a bottle of the Club’s Special Label 125th Anniversary wine to mark the occasion. A jolly good time was had by all ! The Club’s Vice President, Bro John Moore, addressed the Rotary Club of Sydney at their lunch held on Tuesday 18th, presenting the Club’s history to them. A big thank you is offered to all members, guests, directors, management and staff for their valued contributions to the observation of such an important event in the Club’s history and development. BUILD ON THE ROCK Few people really understand the important role that sandstone has played in the creation of Sydney, and also many other major cities and structures around the world. A dictionary will list sandstone as a sedimentary rock composed of small grains cemented together and yet, from this humble beginning, has grown many of the world’s major attractions. In fact, the NSW Masonic Club, at the time of construction, was the tallest building in Sydney, with its magnificent sandstone frontage towering above its neighbours. The Club can list its heritage, along with many other Sydney notables such as the Sydney Town Hall, the Queen Victoria building, Customs House and the magnificent stone walls facing the Opera House. Many of the homes in Sydney’s suburbs have a sandstone foundation, guaranteeing that they would last for a century or more. Council engineers often said a sandstone foundation would guarantee extensions could be built without concern because of the solid nature of the stone. An indication of the longevity of sandstone is the area where the Opera House now exists which was originally known as Bennelong Point and where Fort Macquarie was built using stone from the first quarries in Sydney. In later years the area became a depot for Sydney City trams and, of course, now is where the Opera House stands. There are other little-known sandstone areas such as the Mortuary Railway Station and gardens which are seen, but not really noticed, by rail travellers as they arrive or leave Central Station. Predominantly constructed from sandstone, it is an architectural masterpiece consisting of two colours - brown for all columns and white for plain surfaces. The building was used as the last stop for all funeral trains until 1938. Sydney Town Hall and the QVB are other outstanding sites, especially for tourists, while the Rocks and Argyle Cut are also prime attractions. In fact, despite the modernisation of Sydney in the past century, many examples still exist of the sandstone that was quarried to create the structures which help make Sydney a world class city. Historians have to trace back to 1788 and a 19-year-old stonemason, Samuel Peyton, who was transported to Sydney from England for stealing. At that time, he was the only stonemason in Sydney and he helped to establish the quarry at Bennelong Point from which came Fort Macquarie, the seawall at Farm Cove and the Man O’War Steps. With the arrival of Governor Macquarie, his development of Sydney restricted the use of Bennelong and more attention was paid to the quarries at Pyrmont where 15 were operating. The stone from Pyrmont, was hard, and difficult to extract, but it was used extensively by the Colonial Architects, with 1,351 buildings created around NSW over a period of 28 years. There are still sandstone quarries operating within the Sydney area, but the State Government has had to introduce restrictions on their use, to ensure the preservation of Sydney’s major historic buildings into the future. 6 NSWMC Magazine October 2018 Staff enjoy the 125th Anniversary Lunch N E W S O U T H WALES MASO N I C C L U B FOUNDED 1893 N E W S O U T H WALES MASO N I C C L U B 125TH ANNIVERSARY celebrating our founded 1893 The meeting minutes from the time record a bitter argument over the appearance of the Club. Many members – obviously watching the pennies – were in favour of a concrete front while others demanded a sandstone frontage. The Royal Hotel “Build on The Rock” article, courtesy of Freemasons NSW & ACT