About Lodge Ionic

The lonic Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons was originally formed as the Farnell Lodge. It was sponsored by a prayer of petition signed by 25 members of the Lodge of Antiquity No. 1 and was inaugurated in the Masonic Temple in Clarence Street, Sydney on 21 October 1878. The ceremony was performed by R W Bro Arthur Wilcos Manning, Deputy Grand Master. Lodge lonic was originally No. 15 on the register of The Grand Lodge in New South Wales.

The lodge was originally named in honour of MW Bro James Squire Farnell. MW Bro Farnell was born in St Leonards and educated at Parramatta. An expert bushman he travelled New South Wales extensively as drover. He went to the Californian gold rush in 1848 and also spent some time in New Zealand. As well as farming a 400 acre site in Kissing Point, Sydney at various times he was a Director of the Parramatta River Steam Company, a Director of the Civil Service Banking and Commercial Provident Society and Chairman of the Civil Service Building Society. He was also President of the Sydney Club, a Member of the Linnean Society and New South Wales Commissioner to the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880.

MW Bro Farnell was a Member of Parliament for nearly 30 years as well as a prominent Freemason in New South Wales. During his parliamentary career he served as Member for St Leonards, Parramatta, New England and Redfern. He was also Secretary for Lands and Mines and Minister for Justice before serving as Premier.

MW Bro Farnell was a member of Leinster Marine Lodge No. 2 and in 1876 he became Provisional Grand Master of the Irish Constitution. MW Bro Farnell became the Premier of the State of New South Wales and the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales in 1877 and what is now Lodge Ionic was formed and named after him in 1878.

On 17 July 1882, the members of the lodge, believing that the name ‘Farnell’ had too much political significance, passed a resolution changing the name to ‘Lodge Ionic’.

On 18 June, 1888, the Worshipful Master and Wardens were duly authorised to tender the Allegiance of the Lodge to The United Grand Lodge of New South Wales, and on the Register of that Constitution it became lodge No. 65. 

The Lodge retains its original Charter to this day, which is framed and displayed conjointly with the current one.

Lodge Ionic continued to meet at the Masonic Temple in Clarence Street until the completion of the then new Masonic Hall in Castlereagh Street in 1886.  During construction of the present Centre, the Lodge met at Northbridge, returning to the present Masonic Centre in February 1979.

For many years the Lodge had a close association with the wool industry, with many of its members being employed as wool buyers and classers.

In recent years the membership has tended more towards young men engaged in law, commerce, information technology, and engineering in its various applications.

Lodge Ionic is now a ‘twilight lodge’, tyling at 6.30 pm on the third Thursday of each month; its dress code of lounge suit and lodge tie fits well with the needs  and convenience of young, working men, and also allows for an earlier return home for older brethren.