United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory

The United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory is the main governing body of Freemasonry within the Australian state of New South Wales that also wholly encloses the Australian Capital Territory containing the national capital city, Canberra. It is not the oldest Grand Lodge in Australia; that distinction is held by the Grand Lodge of South Australia, formed in 1884. It originated from the union in 1888 of the earlier 1845 provincial Grand Lodge under the United Grand Lodge of England and other provincial Grand Lodges.

The Grand Lodge is led by an elected Grand Master, assisted by a Deputy Grand Master and an Assistant Grand Master, with a Grand Team.

The Grand Lodge is further organised into 13 Regions, each led by a Regional Grand Counsellor (RGC), which are in turn organised into various Districts, led by a District Grand Inspector of Workings (DGIW), comprising groups of lodges based on geography. Districts are numbered using the Region number suffixed by a further number, hence District 103 is the 3rd district of Region 10. The geographically smallest is Region 12 Sydney Central and the largest is Region 13 Far West. There are no Region or District offices. Lodges meet in various buildings, ranging from individual lodge buildings to major city or urban centres, such as in Canberra.

The Grand Secretary heads the administration of the Grand Lodge from the headquarters at 279 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, on the north-west side of the corner with Goulburn Street.

Freemasonry came to New South Wales with the regiments of the British Army soon after the First Fleet in 1788.

A Military Lodge sitting under Warrant No.1780, by then having admitted a number of civilians to membership, became Sydney No.l, formed with 39 brethren on 13 April 1845, the first Wor. Master Bro. Richard McGuffin and his Officers, being installed by Bro. Alexander. No.l, operated in Sydney until its closure in 1968.

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