Australia, New South Wales and Capital Territory Masonic Registers and Card Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consist of Masonic Lodge records from the Grand Lodge of New South Wales and Australian Crown Territory. The registers are handwritten in pre-printed bound volumes. The card index is handwritten on pre-printed cards.

Freemasonry in Australia can be traced to the First Fleet’s arrival in 1788 with officers and soldiers of the military forces. The first lodge in Sydney was established in 1820 under the Irish Constitution of Freemasonry. The United Grand Lodge of New South Wales was officially formed in 1888, and later became responsible for Freemasonry in the Australian Capital Territory. Complete records were kept from the time of the lodge’s creation.

These records were created to track members of the organization and to record their individual achievements of merit. The records regarding achievements within the organization are very reliable. Biographical information is usually reliable but in a few cases may have been deliberately falsified.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Registers
 * Person's name
 * Occupation
 * Age
 * Joining or initiation date
 * Advancement dates
 * Current lodge
 * Former lodge
 * Certificates
 * Deeds of Settlement

Index
 * Person's name
 * Age
 * Date of joining and achieving rank
 * Death date (if deceased)
 * Positions held
 * Lodge name or number

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The person's name
 * The lodge they may have attended
 * When approximately they were a member

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add the new information to your records
 * Use the information to find the person in other records
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Australia.
 * Australia Record Finder
 * Australia Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.