Cooroora Masonic Temple (former)

The Cooroora Masonic Temple was built in 1923, ten years after Freemasonry was established in Pomona. The Lodge Cooroora No 1128 was consecrated on 15 November 1913 at a ceremony at attended by 78 people. Meetings were held at the Noosa showgrounds until land at Pomona was purchased and a hall built by volunteer labour. The first meeting in the new hall was held on 23 June 1923. In 1925, Grand Master Bill Hodge began painting trompe l'oeil murals on all four internal walls. He used photographs of the Masonic Temple in the Criterion Restaurant in London, and meticulously copied them using lead based paints he mixed himself. The subjects and symbolism are integral to Masonic tradition and philosophy. As the London Criterion was destroyed during the Blitz, it is believed that these are the only copies remaining in the world. Furniture was made by local cabinet maker Herb Page. The membership peaked in 1965, but dwindled thereafter. The lodge was disbanded and the building sold in 2005. Many of the removable elements of the Masonic Lodge are on display in the Pomona Museum.