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DGC COA


The Ionic Lodge No. 3235

Consecrated 29th May 1907


Meeting at: Johannesburg - Southern Masonic Centre, 27 Glensands Ave., Rewlatch


Meeting Dates: 3rd Thursday (ex Dec) Inst May


Contact 083 379 2974


Lodge History

The petition had twenty signatories, with the Charter Master Designate, W Bro J Blaker, coming from a lodge in Pakistan, nine Scottish masons who - in order to qualify as founders - affiliated with the sponsored lodge, Civil Service No 3118, and other brethren from England, Australia and New Zealand.

The Lodge, formed to serve the Turffontein area, was consecrated at the Plein Street masonic hall but then held its regular meetings in Turffontein, first at the Presbyterian Church Hall, then at the Oddfellows Hall. Later it moved to Rosettenville, La Rochelle and Kenilworth before settling down at its present venue, the Southern Masonic Hall in Rewlatch. In earlier years the Lodge had sought to develop its own meeting place, the first possibility being to build on a piece of land donated by one of the mining houses, the second to participate in what eventually became the Oddfellows Hall but with the advent of the First World War, followed by the 1922 strike, building plans were dropped and the Lodge continued as a tenant at various venues until it became a full participant in the successful scheme for the development of the Masonic Hall in Rewlatch.

The Lodge membership has been widely representative of the civic and business life of Johannesburg, and has included some wellknown sportsmen one of whom, the motor cyclist Bro Gus Collaras, unfortunately was killed at the battle of Sidi Resegh in 1941. The local amateur dramatic society was well represented, and they not only provided entertainment at the festive board but took part in shows held to raise funds for charitable purposes. This supplemented the remarkable charitable efforts of the earlier members who, in the very difficult times after the First World War and its aftermath, took it upon themselves to assist brethren who had fallen on bad times, and the widows of former members.

The Lodge's first Grand officer was W Bro Albert Liddicoat (WM 1926/7) and two further Grand appointments have gone to members of the Lodge in recent years: W Bro Hendrik Gouws in 1986 and W Bro Leo Werth in 1990. All well deserved, and another faithful servant of the Lodge was W Bro Norman Jee (WM 1943/4), well remembered for his unfailing cheerfulness and his manifest enthusiasm for the Craft.

Over the years the Lodge has experienced 'ups and downs', varying from periods when multiple workings were the order of the day, to others of 'candidate drought', More recently the Lodge has had a shortage of candidates but its has strong membership core and confidence in its future.

Reference: 'A Century of Brotherhood' by A A Cooper & D E G Vieler