The New Masonic-Hall, Sandhurst.

Rare, c.19th hand coloured engraving of the Masonic Hall, Bendigo.

Freemasonry was established on the Bendigo goldfields in the mid-1850s, when lodges first met in temporary premises amid the rapid expansion that followed the discovery of gold. As Sandhurst prospered, the Freemasons sought a permanent hall reflecting their growing stability and influence within the community.  The Masonic Hall was constructed in the 1870s, during a period of considerable local wealth, funded by lodge subscriptions and prominent citizens. Designed in a restrained classical style typical of Victorian civic architecture, the building conveyed permanence and respectability. Its interior provided lodge rooms and spaces for meetings and social functions, and it also served wider civic and charitable purposes.

From the original edition of the Australasian Sketcher.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 914558
State Library New South Wales: REF1/MAV/FM4/9236-9239
State Library Victoria: PCINF AS 06-09-73 P.104