More than 90 freemasons in full regalia - aprons, chains and jewels - have come together for the dedication of a new Lodge Room at Gwynneville.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Wollongong Masonic Centre is used by about 240 men from five different orders of Freemasonry for education, fellowship and friendship.
At a dedication on Saturday, senior officers presented the Most Worshipful Grand Master Derek Robson - the most senior mason in NSW/ACT - with corn, wine, oil and salt to sprinkle in the room.
Wollongong's Edward Keenahan, First Grand Principal and Grand Master of Mark and Royal Arch Masons - an order of Freemasonry - said the four elements were life's essentials, reflecting abundance, fellowship and friendship, peace and unanimity and hospitality.
"It's a fairly short ceremony but it's symbolically important," Mr Keenahan said.
There were two dedications on Saturday - one open to the public and the other private.
Mr Keenahan described the atmosphere at the private service as "fairly intense, interested - especially for new members who would not have seen this ceremony".
It was the mid 1960s when an Illawarra lodge was last dedicated.
Mr Keenahan said modern Freemasonry included degree work and talks from people from different walks of life, such as the police force or medical fraternity.
"They do pretty much what they've done for several hundred years," he said.
"We all get something different out of it ... companionship, friendship, a sense of belonging, learning, a source of community spirit and good family relationships - the things that are available in many organisations but we formalise it in a ceremonial way."
The multimillion-dollar Gwynneville building is owned by the Freemasons and includes cafes, a Chinese grocer and a medical specialist.