Encyclopedia Masonica

A state of the Commonwealth of Australia, in the southeast portion of the island continent. Freemasonry owed its introduction to this State to the Social and Military Virtues Lodge, No. 227 (Ireland), which, attached to the 46th Foot in 1752, was at work in Sydney in 1816. Following on this, other Lodges, with a fixed abode, were opened under Irish Warrants, the first of which was Australian Social Lodge, No. 260, opened in 1820.

The Grand Lodge of England chartered a Lodge entirely for Australians, Australia, No. 820, in 1828. In 1839 England appointed a Provincial Grand Master and Scotland and Ireland followed suit in 1855 and 1858 respectively.

Representatives of twelve Scottish and Irish Lodges met on December 3, 1877, and organized the Grand Lodge of New South Wales. A body had however existed for some years which had also called itself the Grand Lodge of New South Wales but its proceedings had been highly irregular and when the new Grand Lodge was formed it accepted a Lodge Warrant from the new authority. The latter however was itself refused recognition by the Grand Lodges of the British Isles owing to there being seventy-three other Lodges in the district over which the few had no right to annex authority. On September 1, 1888, a Grand Lodge of West South Wales was opened which was duly sanctioned by other Grand Lodges and the existing dissension was thus ended.

The Encyclopedia Masonica exists to preserve the wealth of information that has been generated over the centuries by numerous Masonic authors. As Freemasonry is now Speculative and not Operative, the work of a Mason is now conducted in the quarries of symbolism, literature, history and scholasticism. Freemasonry encourages intellectual exploration and academic achievement in its members and many Masons over the years have taken up this calling. The result has been that an incredible amount of philosophy, symbolic speculation and academic insights have been created. However, as Freemasonry teaches, human knowledge is frail and fragile. It is easily lost in the turnings of the ages and unforeseen catastrophes can result in great setbacks to human knowledge.

For too long these great works have sat on forgotten shelves, gathering dust and concealing the light that could be shed on the darkness of our ignorance. The Encyclopedia Masonica has been created to act as an ark, sailing through time, to ensure that future generations of Freemasons have access to the same knowledge that inspired the Brethren that came before them. It will contain the works of such Masonic Luminaries as Albert G. Mackey, Manly Palmer Hall, G.S.M. Ward, Albert Pike and many others. The Encyclopedia Masonica is a living work and the volunteers of Universal Co-Masonry will continue to labor until the most comprehensive Masonic reference work the world has ever seen has been created. The Encyclopedia Masonica is open to any who wish to use it and will remain open so that the treasures contained within may increase the wealth of all those who seek its wisdom.