Consecrated 14th March 1905
Meeting at: Jan Kempdorp - Masonic Hall, Plantasie Weg
Meeting Dates: 2nd Tuesday (Last Sat May) Inst May
Contact 072 304 7470
Lodge History
Royal Edward Lodge was formed by brethren resident in Christiana, where it met, for a number of years, in a section of the house of the Charter Master, W Bro George Gates. The Consecrating Officer was W Bro Charles Dickenson, of Royal Albert Lodge, Klerksdorp. At the outset candidates were plentiful, and nine emergency meetings were held between May and August 1905. Initially there was little contact with the District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal, and the Lodge looked more to the Central Division for support. The members soon became dissatisfied with the meeting place and after some debate as to whether to buy the property from Bro Gates or to build a new masonic hall, the latter course was adopted and the building was completed in 1914.
The brethren were saddened when one of the founders, W Bro Hopwood, a valuable member of the lodge, was killed in action in Mesopotamia. The depression after the First World War, and fluctuations in the local population, left the lodge with a very small membership and eventually it went into a period of recess which lasted from 1942 to 1944. However nine joining members then came forward and the lodge prospered again. But by 1946, to quote the lodge historian: 'only two of the Christiana brethren were attending meetings while 15 brethren from Andalusia were travelling 50 miles on dirt roads to attend'. And so the lodge moved to Andalusia, where the Vaal Harts Irrigation scheme had its headquarters, and obtained permission to use the recreation hall of what had been a German internment camp. The lodge flourished, partly as the result of new fanning settlement after the war, and partly through recruitment from the nearby Royal Naval Armament Depot. But in 1951 the lodge lost the use of its premises and after two temporary moves, was pleased to accept an offer one of its members, W Bro George Sussman, of a suitable building at Trevor, Andalusia. This was to suffice until 1958, when the lodge completed its own masonic hall in Plantasieweg, Jan Kempdorp (the new name of Andalusia).
In 1956 the lodge debated a motion to become part of the Central Division instead of the Transvaal, but it was defeated by 19 votes to 8. However, the lodge keeps up contacts with the Central Division, and from time to time receives visits from it. Unfortunately, over the years, many members of the lodge have been only short term residents of the area and this has led, from time to time, to serious down turns, Thus, in 1993, the lodge had only 10 active members. Its first Grand officer, W Bro Neville Muller, has retired from the area but the lodge has enjoyed the support of other 'stalwarts' for many years. And it is worthy of mention that one of its Past Masters, W Bro Julian Sussman, holds 'chain' office in The Central Division, as well as Grand rank.
The lodge is successfully paired with Doornfontein Lodge.
Reference: 'A Century of Brotherhood' by A A Cooper & D E G Vieler