Who were the Stonemasons

The stonemasons were the dominant building trade in the 19^th Century. They were skilled in the working of stone for buildings, stone structures such as viaducts and for monuments. It was their union which in 1856 in Melbourne went on strike at the Houses of Parliament and Melbourne University in support of an eight hour day. It succeeded mainly because the building industry as a whole and also the wider community in Melbourne supported the move to a more civilised system. This attitude was underpinned by the wealth generated by gold discoveries and progressive attitudes of many educated people who had migrated to Victoria.  Freemasonry evolved from Medieval stonemasonry to be a purely philosophical movement devoted to self-improvement. The building craft also evolved from the Medieval guilds and to distinguish itself from Freemasonry in the 19^th Century uses the term Operative Masonry.