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Title The Collingwood United Masonic Temple The Collingwood United Masonic Temple is located at 141 Gipps Street Abbotsford Melbourne Australia. It is notable as one of the few inner city masonic buildings still in operation, for its Arts and Crafts architectural style and for being one of the few Masonic Centres in Melbourne successfuly engaged in external hire. This building provides a meeting place for Masonic lodges and is also used by external hirers.

Architectural Style
The Collingwood Historical Society says


 * "Architectural evidence of the Arts and Craftsmovement is not very prevalent in a predominantly 19th century place such as Collingwood. But there are some examples. Collingwood United Masonic Temple was built in 1928/9 at 141 Gipps Street, Abbotsford."

Likewise, Heritage Victoria describe the building as "a bold and somewhat eclectic composition of Classical Revival Arts and Crafts elements" mentioning that other elements such as the hipped roof with "projecting eaves" add to the Arts and Crafts feel of the building.

Brief history
On Wednesday the 29 November 1922, the Abbotsford Lodge No 92 called a meeting of all lodges meeting within the districts of Collingwood and Fitzroy, with the object of discussing the possibility of building a new Masonic Temple for the use of the Masonic Fraternity. The Foundation Stone of the building was laid on 27 November 1928. The money for constuction had been raised by debentures over the property at a 2/6 each, up to a maxumum of £12,000. The first lodge to occupy the Temple was the Earl of Carnarvon No 102, on the 26 November 1929. .

At some point in the late 1990's, the United Grand Lodge of Victoria restlyed the name of Masonic Building from "Temple" to "Centre" to remove religious overtones in the names of the buildings in which masonic lodges met.

Today
Since opening the centre has been continually occupied by masonic lodges.

The current committee of management state "Broadly speaking - our strategic plan focuses on increasing cash flow and undertaking capital works at Gipps St while positioning our hall as an important community asset."

External hirers can hire sections of the ground floor of the building

Masonic Organisations using the building
Craft Lodges using the building are Devotion 723 UGLV and Evolution 931 UGLV. Metropolitian Royal Ark Mariner Lodge No 115 and City of Abbotsford Chapter No 9 also meet at the centre.