The Bush Tucker Mason

The Story of Brother John MacDouall Stuart 1815- 1866
Australian explorer and Mason.

By W. Brother Bernard Williamson -Strong Man Lodge No. 45. Brother Stuart was
born in Dysart Fife Scotland where he trained as a civil engineer after being
rejected for military service on account of him not being robust enough for that
type of life rather ironic when you see what fate had in store for him. In 1839
after finding his sweet heart in a compromising position with his best friend he
packed his bags and ran away to seek his fortune, ending up in Adelade south
Australia.

Following his trade he quickly found employment with the Government's survey
department which was endeavouring to extend the grazing lands into the north of
the colony. In 1844 he accompanied the Father of Australian Explorers Charles
Smith on his last expedition to the Murray and Darling rivers. Stuart made the
first of his own expeditions in 1858 where he built up a reputation as a first
rate explorer. Contemporary reports reveal that "...he has a hardihood by nature
to endure thirst and hunger, a good practical knowledge of Botany, Surveying ,
Astronomy ,Medicine and he can shoe his own horse. He has the pluck of a giant
in his puny frame."

In 1859 two things of interest happened to John Stuart, he was initiated into
Lodge TRUTH no. 8 (Adelaide) S.C. and the Government of South Australia offered
a £2000 prize to the discoverer of a route across the centre of the continent
for the overland telegraph. This was to be an extension of the existing service
from Europe and India. In February 1860 Stuart and his team set after the prize
hotly perused in March by a team headed by the legendary Burke and Wills. By the
end of April Stuart's expedition had discovered the much sought after centre of
Australia now named Central Mount Stuart where they built a cairn and raised the
flag, In the 24 years since the first official white settlers had arrived in
South Australia six different exploring parties had endeavoured to find this
point, they all failed, a point to note in view of other discoveries made later
on. (Modern Satellite mapping has discovered the actual centre to be 400 kms
south.)

Stuart was forced to make many attempts to find the route and on the second of
these he discovered watering holes for a future repeater station for the
telegraph line which he named Ketwick ponds after his 2I/C. One day whilst
Brother John was standing at one of these ponds a group of four Aboriginal
tribesmen appeared on the far bank. He gestured to them to come over to take
water and to share his food. After a while he was stunned when the eldest of the
party proceeded to make Masonic signs. Stuart respond to these signs whereupon
the other three tribesmen slowly and deliberately continued to make further
Masonic signals, they then crossed the pond and clapped him on the back shared
the water and food. A few days later when the Expedition was at another watering
hole, a few miles away, they were confronted by a large band of armed tribesmen
who attacked the party, however they threw their spears and boomerangs not to
hit the explorers but near enough to warn them away from the precious water
hole. When Brother John Stuart reported these incidents upon his return they
were generally discounted as wishful thinking on his part being a new mason he
must have misinterpreted the tribal displays of the tribesmen which are known to
be similar to Masonic signs.

However on another attempt to discover the route the explorers found wheat
growing where no white men were ever supposed to have reached and at a place now
called Muckaty Station the aboriginals' referred to the Rifles and Guns of the
party as 'Muckaty' taken to mean muskets, a term long out of use for these
weapons. Could it be that back in the 1700's Masonic explorers or Masonic
convict escapees had passed through this region? I doubt that we will ever know
and the mystery remains. Brother Stuart finally discovered a way across the
continent by reaching the Indian Ocean at VAN DIEMANS Gulf on 25th July 1862.
The return Journey was a nightmare the sick staving expedition finally made the
end of the trip on the 27th November. This last exploration nearly killed
Brother Stuart who had Scurvy, Ulcers and Arthritis. Most of the return journey
he was carried on a stretcher between two horses because he was so weak.

Brother John Stuart was awarded the Royal Geographical societies' Patron's Gold
medal for his work. In 1864 sick almost blind and extremely lonely he moved to
London to be cared for by his sister within a year his eyesight and his memory
had completely gone and he died at the age of 50. In 1872 the overland telegraph
line from Darwin to Adelaide was complete. His birthplace in Rectory Lane Dysart
is now the John MacDouall Stuart Museum.