The Masonic Temple pictured in its heyday in the 1960s.
By NICOLE WILLIAMS
THE future of one of Dandenong’s historic buildings is under question as Places Victoria weighs up its potential.
The Masonic Temple, at 5 Mason Street Dandenong, has been part of the city’s streetscape since it was built in 1923 but its future is in doubt since it was acquired by Place Victoria (formerly VicUrban) as part of the Revitalising Central Dandenong project.
The building has Heritage Listing in the City of Greater Dandenong.
A Places Victoria spokesperson said it was currently investigating appropriate commercial opportunities for the Masonic Hall at 5 Mason Street, Dandenong.
The spokesperson could not confirm whether this would include a refurbishment of the crumbling building.
Dandenong and District Historical Society president Chris Keys said it would be great to see the building refurbished and opened for community use.
“We hope it would be refurbished because our impression is that it doesn’t look too hot at the moment,” she said.
“It would be a great home for us being that it is such an historical building in town.”
Other possible uses for the building put forward by the historical society included a restaurant, amateur theatre or dance studio, local radio station or home for an interfaith group.
“It would be lovely to retain the building,” Ms Keys said.
“We have never been inside, but we are talking about using it on the condition it would be refurbished.”
Roy Aspinall, chairman of the Dandenong Retail Traders Association, said the building’s future would depend on Places Victoria but it had a lot of potential.
“It is a nice building if it was cleaned up,” he said.
“With the heritage listing, it could be used in a positive way. It could be a nice place within the new precinct that will represent the old Dandenong.”
The temple was built in 1923 and used by the Freemasons until 1991, when the South Eastern Masonic Centre in Keysborough opened.
Mason Street was named after the Freemasons, which had a prominent position on the street until it was sold and used as a recycling workshop from 1992.
In 1996, a couple purchased the building and leased it to the Spanish Christian Church.
It has since been left in disrepair and was acquired by Places Victoria (formerly VicUrban) as part of the Revitalising Central Dandenong project in 2008.
Freemasons Victoria was contacted for comment but did not respond before deadline.
