To honour the Freemasons and their contributions to charity, Maitland City Council will host a civic welcome for the Lodge and its Grand Master Robert Melville, who will be in the city for the event.

The Freemasons have played a large part in Maitland’s development, having started here on November 4, 1840, with eight members, Kevin Short, the Past Assistant Grand Master of the Maitland Lodge, told the Mercury.

“Today, the Freemasons are the biggest aged care providers in NSW,” Mr Short said.

“They raised more than $200,000 for the bushfire victims around Canberra recently and the Maitland Lodge was the first one formed outside of Sydney.

Mr Short said he was speaking to the Mercury to explain their practices and to refute some ­misconceptions.

“We are concerned with the morality of men, encouraging them to act in an upright manner towards all men,” Mr Short said.

“We practice charity and we look after people in need.

“I believe there could be a link between us and the Knights Templar, but there is also a great deal of nonsense spoken about us.

“For example, talk about devil worship is just nonsense. I myself am a practising Christian in the Anglican church.

“I believe Freemasonry and Christianity complement each other.”

Until the early 20th century, all the mayors of Maitland were Freemasons, Mr Short revealed.

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Their members have included people like Sir Donald Bradman and Colonel Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop, the inspiring surgeon who worked among soliders in Japanese POW camps.

Mr Short said Lodge members did have secret handshakes and passwords that identified them, but these served no real purpose today.

“There are Lodges for female members, but none in Maitland,” Mr Short said.

“But there probably will be female members in all the Lodges in due course and I myself have no objections to female members.”