presentation produced in 2006 to mark the centenary of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of South Australia and Northern Territory

1. GRAND LODGE of MARK MASTER MASONS of
SOUTH AUSTRALIA and NORTHERN TERRITORY
100 YEARS: 1906 - 2006
Adelaide Masonic Centre Museum

2. ORIGINS
While the origins of Freemasonry
are uncertain, historians believe
they arose from the practices of
working or operative stone
masons.
The builders of the pyramids,
temples and similar stone
structures of the Middle East,
Europe and other parts of the
world possessed considerable
technical and organisational
skills.

3. SOLOMON’S TEMPLE
The Holy Bible contains a detailed
account of the building of a
Temple in Jerusalem around 1000
BC by Solomon, King of Israel.
The stories and legends of
Freemasonry are based on the
circumstances surrounding the
construction of the Temple, and its
rebuilding several centuries later.

4. CASTLES, CHURCHES & CATHEDRALS
Present day visitors to Europe marvel
at the many castles, churches and
cathedrals built from 1100
onwards.
Stained glass windows, carvings and
manuscripts give us some idea of
the methods of the mediaeval stone
masons.
Masons carved stones for ordinary
building blocks, and also for
decoration.

5. MASONS MARKS
It became customary for stone masons
to place marks upon stones in the
quarries.
Marks identified the work of a particular
mason for payment of wages, and
signified that the stone was
acceptable for use. Other marks
indicated where a particular stone
might be placed within the structure.
Trident mark at Knossos
Marks have been found on stones used
in Ancient Egypt and elsewhere,
including castles, churches and
cathedrals of Europe.

6. MASONS MARKS AS IDENTIFICATION
A register of marks became necessary
to identify the personal mark of
each mason.
The first written reference to mason's
marks occurred in Scotland, in the
Schaw Statutes of 1598, wherein it
was ordered that on the admission
of a Fellow of Craft, his name and
mark were to be registered.

7. REGISTERS OF MASONS MARKS
A mark is found next to the name of
the Warden who signed a 1599
minute of the Edinburgh (Mary's
Chapel) Lodge.
< The Lodge of Aberdeen possesses
a record of the names of members
with their marks from 1670.

8. THE BEGINNINGS of FREEMASONRY I
From about 1640 men who were not stone
masons began to join lodges. These men
became known as free and accepted
masons. The lodges became places of
philosophical discussion, resulting in the
term quot;speculative masonsquot;.
Around this time there was considerable
interest in the story of Solomon's Temple
at Jerusalem, with elaborate drawings
suggesting how the original may have
appeared.
The building of the Temple became an
allegory for the building of a better
society, or a better person.

9. THE FIRST GRAND LODGE
In 1717 there was a meeting of four
lodges in London, forming a grand
(or large) lodge. Modern speculative
Freemasonry traces its history back
to this first meeting.
Dr Desaguliers, third Grand Master

10. FREEMASONRY BECOMES FASHIONABLE
In the early 1720's there were two grades or
degrees, termed Entered Apprentice and
Fellow Craft. Soon a third degree of
Master Mason was introduced.
Members of the aristocracy joined
Freemasonry in the 1720’s, boosting its
popularity. Many new lodges were formed
Dr Desaguliers, third Grand Master

11. WRITTEN REFERENCES TO THE MASON’S MARK
As Freemasonry became fashionable, it
became open to ridicule. Satirical
poems were written, some making
reference to the Mason's Mark:
quot;Tho' first they Signs and Marks did
frame, to Signify from whence they
camequot;
quot;they have no Trowels nor yet Lines,
but still retain their Marks and
Procession of the Gormagons
Signsquot;
by William Hogarth
quot;And what you want in Masonry, Thy
Mark and Maughbin make thee freequot;

12. ARE YOU A MASON?
The operative custom of ensuring that a
mason had a mark by the time he
became a Fellow Craft continued to
be observed in some early lodges of
Freemasons, particularly in Ireland,
Scotland and the English provinces.
Some pretending to be Freemasons may
have been discovered because they
possessed no mark.

13. OTHER DEGREES in FREEMASONRY
Additional grades or degrees were
introduced during and after the
1730’s
The first or original Grand Lodge of
1717 (known as quot;the Modernsquot;) did
not approve of additional degrees
Some additional degrees were accepted
as part of original Masonry by a new
Proliferation of degrees English Grand Lodge which was
formed in the 1750's and became
known as “the Antients”

14. MULTIPLICATION of MARK DEGREES
The Mason’s mark featured in some
degrees or grades, with names
including Mark Man, Mark Master,
Mark Ark Link and Chain, Fugitive
Mark, Christian Mark, Cain's Mark
and Travelling Mark. Most have
since disappeared.
How and when the Mark degree began
is still a matter of debate among
Proliferation of degrees historians.

15. MULTIPLICATION of MARK DEGREES
Thomas Dunckerley, an illegitimate son of
King George II, was a keen Freemason,
interested in other orders and degrees. On 1
September 1769 a meeting of Royal Arch
Masons was held at the George Tavern in
Portsmouth, England. Thomas Dunckerley
was present to deliver the Warrant or
Charter authorising the meeting. The
Minutes were written in code or cipher, and
state: -
quot;having lately rec'd the 'Mark' he made the
bre'n 'Mark Masons' and 'Mark Masters'.
Thomas Dunckerley And each chuse their 'Mark', viz. ... Z
(interlaced triangles) ... He also told us of
this mann'r of writing (code or cipher)
which is to be used in the degree…”

16. MASONIC CIPHER
Minutes were recorded in cipher, not a single
letter being in ordinary writing.
The cipher consisted of squares or parts of
squares, angles and triangles. This cipher is
now known as the Masonic cipher.
Cipher was used to preserve the secrecy of
minutes and also other writings in
Freemasonry.
The concepts of the Mason's Mark, the
entitlement to a Mason's wages, the method
of approving and disapproving a Mason's
work, and the importance of the keystone
within the arch developed from this time.

17. MASONIC UNION
In 1813 the United Grand Lodge of England
was formed by the union of the two English
Grand Lodges known as quot;the Modernsquot; and
quot;the Ancientsquot;, with the Duke of Sussex as
Grand Master until his death in 1843.
The United Grand Lodge did not approve of
degrees other than the basic first three of
Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and
Master Mason.
A compromise allowed the Royal Arch to
continue as part of Freemasonry. The other
The Duke of Sussex Masonic degrees including the Mark and
Knight Templars went into decline
Grand Master 1813-1843

18. BON ACCORD
After 1843 there was a renewal of activity in
degrees outside those of standard (Craft and
Royal Arch) Freemasonry.
Some London Freemasons became involved in
the Bon Accord Chapter at Aberdeen,
which worked a Mark Masonry ceremony
as well as those of the Royal Arch.
In 1851 the Bon Accord Chapter of Aberdeen
issued a Mark Charter to some of its
just a thimble-full ... London members, permitting them to meet
‘Bon Accord’ is the motto of in London.
Aberdeen

19. EARLY MARK FREEMASONRY IN ADELAIDE
In June 1854 a number of Mark Masons met in
Adelaide, under the leadership of John
Lazar, an actor, Deputy Provincial Grand
Master, and a later Mayor of Adelaide.
A Mark Lodge was formed, admitting ten new
members as Mark Masons at the first
meeting. There is no record of any
subsequent meeting (otherwise this would
have been a “Time Immemoriable” lodge)
In 1857 several of the brethren decided to meet
as a Mark Lodge under the Warrant of the
new Duke of Leinster Royal Arch Chapter,
No.363 Irish Constitution

20. THE GRAND LODGE REJECTS MARK FREMASONRY
By 1855 senior Freemasons who were
involved in the Bon Accord Mark Lodge of
London suggested that the Mark degree
should be considered part of ordinary
Freemasonry.
This suggestion failed to win approval from the
United Grand Lodge of England at its
meeting on 4 June 1856.
The Bon Accord Mark Lodge adopted a
special Masonic apron, modified from the
standard Masonic apron, with trimming of
maroon and blue.

21. GRAND MARK LODGE FORMED
Following the rejection of Mark Masonry by
the United Grand Lodge of England, a
meeting of Mark Masons met in June 1856
to form the Grand Lodge of Mark Master
Masons for England, Wales and the
Colonies.
Dr Benjamin Archer Kent from Kent Town in
Adelaide, a member of the Bon Accord
Mark Lodge in London since April 1856,
was present at the meeting when the new
Grand Lodge for Mark Masonry formed.

22. DR KENT of KENT TOWN
Dr Kent was elected to the first General
Committee of the new Grand Lodge, and
appointed foundation Grand Junior Deacon
In 1857 he was appointed Provincial Grand
Master of Mark Masonry for South
Australia. He also served as Provincial
Grand Master of the Craft Lodges in South
Australia from 1854 to 1860
Dr Kent did not exercise his authority as
Provincial Grand Master of Mark Masons
within South Australia

23. ADELAIDE MARK LODGE FORMED
Percy Wells, a Past Master of Royal
Cumberland Lodge of Bath, came to
Adelaide about 1858
In 1859 some English Constitution brethren,
led by Bro. Wells, decided to form an
English Mark Lodge. This resulted in the
formation of the Adelaide Lodge of Mark
Master Masons No.41, English
Constitution.
The Adelaide Mark Lodge struggled in its
early years, with no meetings from 1867 to
1883.

24. MARK MASONRY RECOVERS in ADELAIDE
Mark Masonry in South Australia was boosted when
the Governor, Rt Hon. the Earl of Kintore, visited
the Adelaide Mark Lodge in September 1889.
Previously the Earl had served as Grand Master of
Mark Master Masons in England and Wales from
1884 to 1886.
Perhaps it was as a result of his influence that the
Chief Justice, Bro. the Hon. SJ Way, became
interested in Mark Masonry
9th Earl of Kintore
Governor of SA
1899-1895

25. MARK MASONRY RECOVERS in ADELAIDE
Moonta Mark Lodge No.432 EC formed on
14 October 1891, while Pirie Mark Lodge
No.582 EC formed on 19 March 1906.
With three Mark Lodges existing in South
Australia, in 1906 the brethren decided that
a Grand Mark Lodge should be formed for
South Australia.
Sir Samuel Way was installed as first Grand
Rt Hon. Sir Samuel Way Master on 14 May 1906.

26. MARK MASONRY EXPANDS
Later in 1906 three more Mark lodges were
formed in South Australia, at Peterborough,
Port Adelaide and Norwood.
By 1956 there were 49 Mark Lodges
In July 1963 the Darwin Mark Lodge was
formed, the first in the Northern Territory.
62 Mark Lodges had been formed by 1998

27. CEREMONIES
The ceremony of advancement to the degree of
Mark Master Mason centres on the traditional
practice of choosing and using a
distinguishing mark to identify each
craftsman's work, so that he may be entitled to
receive his wages.
The themes of the Mark degree include
regularity, diligence and discipline. The
Second degree of Freemasonry encourages
learning, and the Mark degree instructs how
that learning can be most usefully and
judiciously employed for our own honour and
an Irish Mark penny the benefit of our fellow man.

28. LESSONS & RITUAL
While motives may sometimes be misinterpreted,
attainments underrated and reputations traduced,
the Mark degree demonstrates the merits of
persistence in the face of adversity, and the
conviction that truth will prevail.
The Mark Degree is thus one of hope and
encouragement.
The ritual is built around a single verse from Psalm
118: quot;The stone which the builders refused is become
the headstone of the cornerquot;. It deals with the
building of King Solomon's Temple and the various
Craftsmen employed, but its real message is the
contemplation of human strength and weakness

29. REGALIA
The regalia of the Mark degree include a special
Masonic apron, with dark red and blue trim, and a
breast jewel showing the keystone
Mark lodges have a special coin, known as a Mark
penny, for payment of wages.
On occasion a lecture is given using a tracing board,
which contains symbols from which lessons can
be drawn. The tracing board includes the method
of decoding the Masonic cipher.

30. LODGE ROOM
The Lodge Room is similar to that
of the first three degrees, with
additional positions adjacent to
the pavement for three officers
known as overseers.
The Senior Warden's pedestal has
provision for the payment of
wages

31. MORE FACTS ABOUT THE MARK
To become a Mark Mason you must first be a
Master Mason.
The Mark degree affords opportunities to gain
additional Masonic knowledge. The
lessons learned have practical application.
Members are taught to appreciate the
virtues of patience and perseverance, and
additional information is given about the
traditional history of Freemasonry.
Mark Lodges tend to meet in alternate months.
The membership fees are reasonable, about
one third those of Craft Lodges.

32. THE FRIENDLY DEGREE
The Mark is known as quot;the friendly
degreequot;, perhaps a consequence of
the difficult times for the Mark
degree in the years after 1856. No
doubt adversity bound the brethren of
the new Grand Lodge more closely
together.

33. THANK YOU!
Adelaide Masonic Centre Museum
Adelaide Masonic acknowledges the support of the History
Centre Museum Trust of South Australia in providing a grant
to develop portable interpretive panels for the
Centenary.
The Museum also acknowledges the support of
the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons