Fingal is a quiet and attractive rural town.

The beauty of the Fingal district has been an inspiration to a number of writers and poets. James McAuley, who spent a lot of time on Tasmania's east coast, wrote of Fingal in his poem 'Fingal Valley'.

Located 237 km east of Launceston via the Tasman Highway and 249 km north east of Hobart, Fingal was named, probably after Fingal's Cave in the Hebrides, by Roderic O'Connor who surveyed the area with John Helder Wedge in 1824. 

Fingal came into existence in 1827 when it was established as a convict station. It grew dramatically, if briefly, after the discovery of gold at Mangana, 10 km north west of Fingal, in 1852. This discovery is widely regarded as the first discovery of payable gold in Tasmania.

Historic Buildings The town has a number of historically significant buildings, particularly in Talbot Street, the town's main street. The Holder Brothers Store dates from 1859 and nearby is the old Tasmania Hotel, constructed, in part, from the stones which were originally used to build the Prison barracks in the 1840s. It became a hotel in the 1850s and is now the local Tourist Centre. It sells arts and crafts from the district. Also in Talbot Street is the Fingal Hotel, a two storey hotel built in the 1840s which, in the spirit of the town's name, has a fine collection of Scotch whiskies - reputedly the largest in the southern hemisphere.     And, at the west end of the street, opposite the Town Hall (1882) is St Peter's Anglican Church, shown below, the town's oldest church which was consecrated  in 1867.   

In Seymour Street, which runs south from Talbot Street, there are a number of historically significant buildings.

    The local primary school, with some
     modern additions, dates from 1884 (it
     is one of the oldest primary schools
     in Tasmania) and Uniting Church
     (1881) and St Joseph's Roman
     Catholic Church (1880) indicate a
     period when, towards the end of the
     nineteenth century, the town was
     growing rapidly.

The Lodge History.
 

Lord Carrington Lodge, No 22 T.C, was founded on the 7^th June 1892, having been sponsored by Dorset Lodge of Scottsdale, No 17 T.C.

The first master of the Lodge was John George Davies, a proprietor of the Mercury newspaper in Hobart, who represented the House of Assembly electorate of Fingal from 1884 to 1907. Davies was subsequently knighted, and had the rank of Grand Master conferred in 1910. Lord Carrington met on the Saturday nearest the full moon, for many years using the Council Chambers at Fingal. The report for the year ending 12^th February 1916 records the membership at 54, and that 2 meetings had to be abandoned due to inclement weather, the majority of the brethren having to travel long distances. The Lodge drew its members not only from Fingal, but other Fingal Valley townships such as Avoca, Mangana, Mathinna, St. Marys and Cornwall, and farming properties. 

The Lodge purchased land on the corner of Brown and Grant Streets, Fingal, and the foundation stone of a fine reinforced concrete temple was laid on the 28^th March 1925 by the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. H. L. D’Emden. The temple was completed and dedicated on the 17^th April 1926. Electricity was connected to the temple in 1931, and from May 1932 the Lodge decided to meet on the second Saturday of the month in the evenings. In spite of the hardships of the depression the Lodge continued to maintain a solid membership. 

In the years following the end of the Second World War membership grew, and on 12^th January 1952 a tender for extension of the Lodge building was let. A new Temple chamber was built on the eastern end of the building, on land donated by the adjoining owner, Mr. H. Holder. The new Temple was dedicated on the 13^th December 1952 by M. W. Bro. A. C. Lowe, Grand Master. The former temple chamber was converted into a large hall. 

The Fingal valley was then a thriving rural and mining district, and the Lodge maintained a membership of well over 100 for many years. In the late 1980s membership started to decline, following changes in the mining and farming industries, and the loss of aging members.  To mark its centenary in 1992 a ceremony re-enacting the consecration of the Lodge was carried out in the presence of Grand Lodge and many visitors. 

The Lodge continued to be supported by members, a number living throughout the North-East of Tasmania, and in 2003 the decision was made to move to Saturday afternoon meetings. The Lodge now meets on the second Saturday in February, April (Installation), June, August, October and December.