Farewell from the Northern Territory to RWBro. Ian Pontifex

14 Aug 2018 - 11:41am

On Thursday 5th July 2018 a small group of Mark and Craft Masons and wives farewelled a much-respected brother and friend, RWBro Ian Pontifex at a luncheon at the Virginia Tavern.

After decades of living in the Territory, RWBro. Pontifex has purchased a new home in Victor Harbour, relocating back to his State of birth – South Australia.  Ian’s home town being Cummins.

RWBro. Pontifex went to the Territory shortly after Cyclone Tracy and was involved in the transportable home business.  He later entered the Finance Industry with Colonial Mutual and then purchased and ran several H & R Block  outlets.

As a worthy and distinguished Freemason, RWBro. Pontifex has been a mentor and friend to many in both the Craft and Mark Lodges in Darwin for many years.  

RWBro.Pontifex's passion for -  and commitment to - the Mark and Mariners Degrees is well known to those in the South Australian and Northern Territory Craft and Mark Constitutions and to a succession of Grand Masters. 

Amongst some of RWBro. Pontifex's projects are:

• Darwin Mark incursion into the West Australian town of Kununurra to hold Mark and then Mariner meetings (in the 1990's).
• Mark Advancement meetings in the border whistle stop town of Timber Creek, where on one occasion ten men were advanced at the one meeting.  Timber Creek being some 800 kilometres from Darwin.
• Next -  the now infamous Advancement Meeting in a real quarry in Darwin.
• The momentous first ever Communication of the Mark in Darwin and presentation of Keystones bearing the Mark Marks of the visiting Grand Master and others made in that very quarry.

More recently RWBro. Pontifex  was the impetus behind the Darwin Mark liaison with the Cairns-based Trinity Lodge of Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Queensland.  This gave rise to the now legendary “Hands Across the Border” meeting in Mt. Isa in September 2017.  

Also in 2017, RWBro. Pontifex was elected to the Mark and Royal Ark Council and was quick to bring his objective skills, influencing the Council to set up the “Future Proofing of Mark Masonry” Sub-Committee, which has been tasked with determining a position strategy to retain and improve the reducing numbers in Mark and Royal Ark Mariners Lodges across South Australia and the Northern Territory.

RWBro. Pontifex will be missed as a friend and mentor to many and a great advocate of Freemasonry.