Some Freemasons who ventured beyond the early Australian frontier penetrated the veil of secrecy surrounding the time-honoured Aboriginal religion and its initiation rites.
They believed that they found ancient connections between Masonic and Aboriginal initiation rites, such as degrees of initiation, solemn obligations, secret men’s temples, sacred symbols, investiture of aprons and the Masonic-style penalties. These and other things were witnessed by different Freemasons amongst the ‘Myalls’, the so called ‘wild Aborigines’ beyond the white settlements.
This is certainly not the end of the story of Aboriginality and Freemasonry. Prominent Australians of Aboriginal descent have contributed to Freemasonry as regular members for some time. Sir Douglas Nicholls, KCVO, OBE, (1906–1988) was an Aboriginal Australian from the Yorta Yorta people. He was also a star Fitzroy footballer, a boxer and a prominent Freemason, a Churches of Christ pastor, ceremonial officer; he was also a pioneering campaigner for reconciliation. He was the first Aboriginal person to be knighted and the first appointed to a vice- regal office, serving as the Governor of South Australia.
