The Archives Committee has had many enquiries lately concerning Wor. Bro. Lionel Logue. Those of you who have seen or heard of the recent film -The King's Speech" will know that Lionel Logue, the character played by Geoffrey Rush, was the speech therapist who helped King George VI cure his stammer.
Lionel George Logue was a member of St George's Lodge (now JD Stevenson/St George's Lodge). He was born in Adelaide on February 26 1880 and educated at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide.
Wor. Bro. Logue studied elocution and worked in Adelaide as a teacher. He moved to Kalgoorlie apparently to work in a gold mine. Later he moved to Perth where he met Myrtle Gruenert; they married on March 20 1907 in St George's Anglican Cathedral, Perth. His Masonic records show that at his Initiation on September 18 1908, Wor. Bro. Logue was a Professor of Elocution residing at 9 Emerald Terrace, West Perth (now believed to be Emerald Hill Terrace). He was passed to the Second Degree on October 16 1908, and raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason on November 20 1908. His service as a lodge officer was as follows:
Steward 1909, Junior Deacon 1910, Inner Guard 1913, Junior Deacon 1914, Senior Deacon 1915, Junior Warden 1916, Senior Warden 1918, Worshipful Master 1919. Wor. Bro. Logue seems to have had a busy professional life in Perth. He taught elocution, public speaking and acting, as well as producing stage plays.
He worked to help soldiers returning from World War I who were afflicted with speech impediments caused by shell-shock. In 1924 he set up consulting rooms in Harley Street, London where he treated both rich and poor alike; apparently the exorbitant fees he charged the rich subsidised the treatment of his poorer clients.
In 1926 he was consulted by the then Duke of York (later King George VI) for help to overcome his stammer. At the Coronation of King George VI on May 12 1937, Wor. Bro. Logue wore the MVO decoration awarded by the King the night before.
Wor. Bro. Logue was a founder of the British Society of Speech Therapists and a founding fellow of the College of Speech Therapists. He was speech therapist to the Royal Masonic School. In 1944 his MVO was elevated to CVO. He retained his friendship with King George VI until the King's death in 1952.
Wor. Bro. Logue passed to the Grand Lodge Above on April 12 1953.

The QLD Freemason. May 2011.

(One can only wonder as to the nature of the Masonic discussions by these two Freemasons - Ed.)