Freemasons and the Press in 1860s Brisbane

Abstract

Freemasons formed their first lodge in Brisbane in 1859 and the craft grew and spread quickly through Queensland. In studying associational life in Britain, Peter Clark has drawn attention to the relationship of freemasons to the development of the popular press. This paper explores the involvement of individual freemasons with the Press; the ways freemasons used the Press to promote the craft; and to try to determine, from the material published about freemasonry, how freemasons positioned themselves in Brisbane society.