There were no special handshakes or secret passwords required to enter Canberra's Freemason centre on Saturday, as the fraternity opened its doors to the public.
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Visitors were able to enjoy a rare glimpse of what goes on in an organisation often maligned as secretive and shadowy.
Among Freemason ranks were 10 former Australian prime ministers, including the first, Sir Edmund Barton, and the longest-serving, Sir Robert Menzies.
Sixteen Canberra suburbs are also named after Freemasons.
Canberrans were taken on tours through the city's centre at Mawson, including through the Lodge Room, and looked into local charities the lodge sponsors such as SnowyHydro South Care and Sailability.
Former master of the city's Lodge Caledonia and open-day organiser, Peter Ellis, said masons would "talk your ears off" about the fraternity at the open day, but not everything could be shared.
"We do, except the secrets, which are like a PIN that you wouldn't give out to anyone else," he said.
"They are the handshakes and some words."
The grand master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of NSW and ACT decided to "lift the lid" on the organisation's role in society through the open day, Mr Ellis said.
He said the the main function of the order was to "take good men and make them better" through tools, lessons and stories.
"There were Freemasons on the First Fleet, freemasonry has been in Australia since the very first days of colonisation, but who knows about it?" Mr Ellis said.
"Now we're talking about it. We are an open book, so come and find out."
Though the fraternity is opening itself to visits from the public, it is unlikely to change its male-only stance in the near future.
"It is a men's organisation, though there are allied orders for women such as the Order of the Eastern Star, which takes a lot of its instruction from freemasonry," Mr Ellis said.
"We do have a lot of women around us, however, and we place a high priority on family."
