Summary

Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows registered as a Friendly Society under the Friendly Societies Act of 1843.

In 1991 the fraternal lodge separated from the health benefits section to form Manchester Unity Australia Ltd.

Details

The first lodge (Adelaide Lodge No.1) was established in South Australia in 1843 after having received dispensation from the appropriate authorities in Manchester (prior to this they operated under the title 'Jones' Well-wisher Lodge'. In 1868, the Society divided into four districts: Adelaide, Daly, Kapunda and South Eastern. The lodges within each district elected district officials who exercised control over the local officials. The equivalent of a District president, secretary and treasurer were elected by the District Committee, and an executive Board of Directors (to manage the day to day affairs of the order), District Auditors and District trustees were appointed. Each lodge had a similar set of officials operating under the control of the District. The third tier of administration, the Grand Annual Committee (the ultimate governing body), was composed of delegates elected at District meetings. The size of the society, and need to control officials at the various levels, encouraged the IOOFMU to promote legislation to minimize problems caused by negligence or fraud, resulting in the passing of a private Act in 1874. Juvenile lodges started in 1881 when the Hindmarsh Lodge No.9 was established.

Related entries

Timeline

 1861 - 1885 South Australian Benefit Society
       1873 - 1983 Hibernian-Australasian Catholic Benefit Society
             1840 - 1991 Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows
                   1991 - Manchester Unity Australia Limited

Archival resources

State Library of South Australia

• Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows records, 1941 - 1994, SRG 765; State Library of South Australia. Details