Our Lodge History

Lodge St Andrew at Bexley traces its origins to 4 August 1851, when Lodge St Andrew No. 358 was established under the Scottish Constitution. It became the Mother Lodge of that Constitution in New South Wales.

With the formation of the Grand Lodge of NSW in 1878, the brethren were divided on whether to remain under the Scottish Constitution or join the new Grand Lodge. The lodge effectively placed “a foot in both camps.” Those who stayed with the Scottish Constitution continued as Lodge St Andrew No. 358, while those who joined the Grand Lodge of NSW formed Lodge St Andrew No. 1 under the NSW Constitution.

At the time of the Union in 1888, a total of 55 Scottish lodges transferred their allegiance to the United Grand Lodge of NSW, and Lodge St Andrew became No. 7 on the Register of the UGL of NSW. The name “Sydney” was added in 1889.

Lodge St Andrew No. 62 was consecrated on 27 June 1878, initially as No. 1 under the Grand Lodge of NSW. At the Union in 1888, it was granted No. 62 on the Register of the UGL of NSW.

By 1918, many Freemasons were living in the suburb of Bexley. Most were attached to lodges meeting at Rockdale or Hurstville, while others attended lodges in Sydney and elsewhere. On 2 September 1918, Wor. Bro. Cec Abbott convened a meeting at the Rockdale Masonic Temple for interested brethren to consider forming Lodge Bexley. Thirty-two brethren signed the petition.

On 26 September 1918, the petition was presented to the UGL of NSW, and approval was granted by the Most Worshipful Grand Master William Thompson on 28 September 1918. In 1922, Bro. Ted Garnsey (Snr) designed and built the Bexley Masonic Hall, and Lodge Bexley moved into the new hall in 1923.

Over the years, a number of lodges consolidated with Lodge Bexley, including Lodge Kingsgrove, Lodge Berith, Lodge King of Tyre, Lodge Marrickville and Lodge Rockdale United (which itself had absorbed several lodges). Through these unions, the lodge became known as Lodge St George and St Andrew No. 7.

Key name changes included: Lodge Bexley No. 328 (28 October 1918); Lodge Bexley Marrickville No. 328 (July 1982); The St George Lodge No. 328 (January 2000).

On 9 July 1990, Lodge Sydney St Andrew No. 7 and Lodge St Andrew No. 62 consolidated under the name and number “Lodge St Andrew No. 7.” On 9 November 1992, Lodge St Andrew No. 7 became the first lodge in the Sydney Metropolitan Area to meet as a Twilight Lodge. In 2002/3, the lodge moved to the Bexley Masonic Centre.

On 6 November 2016, the lodge became Lodge St George and St Andrew No. 7. It adopted the motto from the original coat of arms granted to the first Baron of Bexley, Nicholas Vansittart (1766–1851), on 1 March 1823. The Latin phrase “Grata Quies” translates as “welcome rest” or “peaceful repose.”

In June 2025, the lodge changed its name from Lodge St George and St Andrew No. 7 to Lodge St Andrew at Bexley No. 7. This change honours two key strands of our story: our Scottish origins as Lodge St Andrew No. 358, established on 4 August 1851, and the brethren of Lodge Bexley who built our Masonic Centre in 1923.

In August 2026, the lodge will celebrate 175 years of continuous Masonry. To mark this, the lodge logo reverted to the original St Andrew design, with the words “at Bexley” placed below the emblem. Today, Lodge St Andrew at Bexley No. 7 continues to welcome men of good character, preserving our rich heritage while looking forward to many more years of service to Freemasonry and the local community.