Fairfield Lodge

Royal Freemasons Homes of Victoria Established.

After several failed attempts in the previous years, a Grand Lodge of Victoria is established from the English, Scottish and Irish Constitutions with The Hon. George Seth Coppin as Grand Master.

The remaining dissenting Lodges in Victoria join Grand Lodge forming the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Victoria.

Fairfield Lodge was consecrated by Grand Lodge Victoria on 25 October 1919. It is unclear where the members met in those days but it was common for members to meet every month in a local hall or hotel.

Funds were raised by the members to construct a meeting place on the corner of Gillies & Duncan Streets, Fairfield and the members held regular meeting at Fairfield until the members determined to sell the property during 1990-1991.

Just prior to selling the property a number of Lodges in adjacent districts considered options to hand in their Charter or amalgamate with other Lodges.

Meetings were held at Fairfield to establish options for the benefit of members and Freemasonry in general. Most members considered the principles of Freemasonry too valuable to let their membership lapse and members from Lodge of Ideals and Lodge of Justice agreed to incorporate their Lodges with Fairfield.

Grand Lodge Victoria approved the incorporation of Fairfield, Ideals and Justice Lodges and the names of the three Lodges are endorsed on the Charter from Grand Lodge.

Following the approval and endorsement of the Charter from Grand Lodge, Grand Lodge considered that no other lodges should be incorporated, but determined that the incorporation of Fairfield Lodge should remain.

No previous Lodges have ever been approved and incorporated by Grand Lodge and Grand Lodge determined that Fairfield Lodge’s Charter will be the only Charter to be recognised as an Incorporated Lodge. The incorporation of lodges is now prohibited by Grand Lodge.

This makes Fairfield Lodge No. 254 a unique Lodge in the Victorian jurisdiction, maybe in Australia and the rest of the world.

Fairfield members moved the meetings to the Ivalda Masonic Centre, Salisbury Avenue, Darebin to meet on the second Wednesday of the month except in the month of January. Traditionally Fairfield have always met on the second Wednesday in the month except January, note that most Lodges do not meet in January.

Following the closure of Warringal Lodge and the sale of the Heidelberg Masonic Centre some members joined Fairfield Lodge in August 1994.

Some members from Adoration and Comradeship joined Fairfield Lodge and being a services Lodge, brought with them the Ceremony of the Vacant Chair which was carried out at every meeting until 2008. The ceremony is now carried out twice a year in the months of April and November to coincide with Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

Friends in Council-Memphis Lodge handed in their Charter to Grand Lodge and as the members met at Ivalda Masonic Centre 85 per cent of the members joined Fairfield.

Tuscan Lodge handed in their Charter to Grand Lodge and many of its members joined Fairfield.

Fairfield Lodge celebrated its 100th Anniversary. What a great milestone for any organisation and the members of Fairfield Lodge were particularly proud of this achievement.