Temperance Lodges

Temperance Lodges were formed to promote abstinence and membership required an oath of total abstinence from alcohol. Most meetings included Temperance lectures and singing of hymns, followed by a "tea party". Among these Lodges were the Independent Order of Good Templars and The Independent Order of Rechabites, which had Lodges in Weston, Maitland and Newcastle. Temperance Lodges began in 1851 in New York and the movement arrived in Australia in 1872. In 1878 a public celebration of the birthday of the Prince of Wales was held in Newcastle, representatives from thirteen Sydney Lodges of the Independent Order of Good Templars joined the festivities (James 103-4). In 1880 the Temperance Lodges pushed for the Licensing Suspensory Bill which prohibited the granting of Licenses in Sydney and the County of Cumberland for twelve months.

Mrs Edgeworth David, wife of Sir T. W. Edgeworth David was the leader of "The Women's National Movement for the stoppage of the sale of intoxicants at 6pm"; she spoke publicly for the Movement advocating early closing of Public Houses (Vale; Cantrell). In 1917, during the First World War, the Australian Alliance Prohibition Council was formed, "it had as its objective the prohibition of the liquor traffic throughout the Commonwealth". Posters announced: