Origins of the Australian Orange
Order
The first gathering and meetings of Orangemen took place in the
early days of the colony in New South Wales amongst military personnel.
They held warrants issued by the Grand Lodges of the United Kingdom and
lodges consisted of brethren of the various regiments, several of them
being 17th, 50th, and 63rd.
Research shows that in 1830 the 17th Leicestershire Regiment
arrived in New South Wales and with them was Warrant No.260 granted by the
Grand Lodge of England. The Secretary of that Lodge, Bro. Robert Fiddles,
is recorded as having written to the Grand Lodge, stating that they were
75-strong and requested an additional warrant for some 29 of their members
who were stationed with the 63rd Regiment in Hobart Tower.
In 1829, the military commanders had ordered the return to Grand
Lodge of all military lodge warrants. However, a number of Orangemen
disobeyed the order and retained them, continuing to use the Irish and
English warrants to hold meetings throughout the growing colonies as far
inland as the gold rush areas of New South Wales and Victoria. Lodge
meetings under the military warrants were not allowed to admit non-military
persons.
A Corporal Wm. McKee wrote to the Grand Lodge in 1823 advising
that L.O.L. 260 was rapidly increasing in membership. He also reported
that, in his view, if Orange lodges were established in Australia the
welfare of the community would be increased, for by now there were numbers
of free respectable people and discharged soldiers who would support
the Institution.
On April 9, 1835 the "Lady Nugent" arrived in Sydney. Those on
board including the families of 29 soldiers of the 50th Queen's Own
Regiment. Among them was Private Alexander, whose wife had sewn into his
tunic the warrant of the 50th Regiment's Orange Lodge No.1780.
They met as opportunity offered (it having been decided to
secretly retain the warrant) in a room above the printing office of Bros.
Barr and Kitchen, two Londonderry Orangemen whose premises were situated
next door to the Crown and Kettle Hotel, Sydney, with Bro. Alexander the
Wor. Master.
These gatherings formed the nucleus of the first
Australian Lodge. Ultimately the old Military Lodge sitting under Warrant
No.1780, by now having admitted a number of civilians to membership, became
Sydney No.l in 1845.
The first Australian Lodge (No.l) was formed with 39
brethren on April 13, 1845, the first Wor. Master Pro. Richard McGuffin and
his Officers, being installed by Bro. Alexander. L.O.L. No.l, operated in
Sydney until its closure in 1968.
The first Grand Lodge was opened in Sydney in 1845, Pro. Robert
Barr being the first Grand Master, and Bro. Andrew Alexander, the Deputy
Grand Master. Bro. Alexander was the Grand Master the following year.
The institution grew and prospered; No.2 Lodge was opened in
1845, No.3, No.4, and No.5 (in Kiama on the New South Wales South Coast) in
1846, No.6 and No.8 in 1847, No.7 in 1850. Of those early Lodges No.6 and
No.8 are still meeting. Other Lodges more than 100 years and still meeting
are No.ll at Penrith, No.27 in Sydney, No.36 at Bathust, No.96 at Taree,
and No.99 at Lismore on the far North Coast of New South Wales.
Expansion During early years, No.4 reported an attendance
of nearly 400 members, and No.3 reported an attendance of 700
at a supper in July, 1868. As the colony grew so did the
Institution and membership grew to many thousands.
Reports were printed in the "Sentinel'' (one of the two
Protestant press newspapers then in Sydney -- operated Orangemen) as early
as 1848 of July 12 processions in Sydney and Melbourne. Eventually there
was scarcely a country town which did not have its Orange lodge Protestant
hall.
The first Orange Lodges in Victoria were formed in 1843
and 1847, the direct result of civil unrest by sections of the local Roman
Catholic community. The civil unrest followed the democratic election of a
Protestant to represent the Port Phillip District in the first New South
Wales Parliament. Open voting at election then existed, so that each party
knew how the other voted. The conduct of many Roman Catholics at this
election so aroused the Protestants that they resolved to band themselves
together for mutual protection "and to resist in the future the lawless
conduct of the Popish mob."
In June 1867, the two branches of Orangeism operating in
Victoria merged to form the Loyal Orange Institution of Victoria, which
continues to function successfully, currently with some 30 subordinate
lodges.
The first Orange lodge in South Australia met in Port Adelaide
in 1854 with 20 members. By 1894 there were around 3,100 members in that
State. In 1860 the Grand Lodge of South Australia was constituted, there
being 10 Lodges at that time. In 1880, the first ladies' lodge was opened
in Adelaide.
The Institution commenced operation in Queensland in 1865 and
the Grand Lodge was constituted in 1867. Initially, the Institution was
called "The Loyal Protestant Association of Queensland," but on January 30,
1873 the name The Loyal Orange institution of Queensland was adopted. In
1898 a serious split occurred in the Institution because of a new R.A.P.
ritual. The rift was healed in 1905 and the Institution became "one" again.
By 1932, there were or had been 191 Warrants issued to male and mixed
Lodges .
Little is now known of the origins of the Institution in Western
Australia, but it is believed the first Lodge was formed in 1886. The Grand
Lodge was constituted in 1913.
The Grand Orange Council of Australia was formed in 1883 in
order that ritual workings might be made uniform throughout all
jurisdictions. That objective, amongst others, continues to be the main
function of Council.
Principles The Institution in Australia today owns
headquarter buildings in all states. The Order continues to maintain its
long-standing commitment to upholding the principles established by King
William III at the Battle of the Boyne -- to propogate and defend the
interests of Protestantism; to promote the widest measure of religious and
civil liberty and the separation of Church and State; and to support
welfare of mankind.
The Loyal Orange Institution of Victoria conducts a
Protestant Information Centre and Bookshop. The Centre is situated within
Loyal Orange House, Melbourne, and provides information
leaflets, books, etc. About the Protestant faith.
The Institution also conducts Protestant rallies, featuring
prominent Protestant preachers, and throughout Australia has vigorously
(but unsuccessfully) opposed concept of State aid to denominational
schools, it being considered as segregative and an infringement or the
religious liberty of Australians. In New South Wales and Victoria the
Institution has established homes for the aged and invalid, which
altogether accommodate some 140 people at low rental, and support other
community welfare projects.
"The Sentinel" (not the publication referred to earlier),
Australia's Orange Journal, is widely read in many parts the "Orange" world
and copies of each issue are posted every Australian Federal
parliamentarian as a public relations exercise.
Although the two world wars caused a great decline in membership
as members enlisted, many never to return, and the Institution is nowhere
near as strong as it used to be, it is still nevertheless alive and well
and, by the grace of God, continues and will continue to support the
basic principles -- freedom of worship, freedom of speech and freedom
of public assembly -- and the welfare of mankind.
HILTON R. WICKHAM, J.P. Grand Secretary Grand Orange
Council of Australia
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