Officers for the year 2011 - 2012
Worshipful Master
Wor Bro L.W. Briggs.
745 Main South Road,
Gladstone,
Greymouth.
Ph: (03) 03 762 6622
Senior Warden Junior Warden
Wor Bro R.J. Sheehan Wor Bro G.F. Sara
10/13 Frickleton
Street 14 Wilson Cresent,
Karoro,
Greymouth.
7805 Greymouth.
7805
Ph: (03) 768 5779 Ph: (03) 768-5789
Secretary
Wor Bro D.C. Stapleton
112 Stafford Street.
Hokitika 7810
Ph: (03) 755 6205 - Fax: (03) 755 6200
Meetings
The Lodge meets on the first Tuesday of the month, February to June and October to December at 7/30pm at
the Karoro Bowling Club rooms, Nelson Street, Greymouth, for the winter months of July and August, same
venue at 2pm., and the annual Installation is always on the first Saturday in September, at 1/30pm., again same
venue.
General
The town of Greymouth, once called Crescent City, is the largest on the West Coast of the South Island of
New Zealand, population of 9000.250 kms. N.W. of Christchurch, 100 S.W. of Westport, and 40 kms. N.E. of
Hokitika. Service centre for the largest coal mining district in New Zealand, a large dairying industry, and a
“passing through town" for 1.2. Million = tourists p.a., 46% of that number being international, visiting the
spectacular scenery that the Coast has to offer....the many lakes, the sea and beaches, the wild bird life, the
beautiful Franz Josef and Fox, Glaciers and huge areas of native forest, in the distance of 630 kms. from Karamea
in the north, to Fiordland in the south, home to only 31,000 people, and not a single road traffic light!
The Lodge
Today, one of only two English Constitution Lodges left on the Coast, the other being Phoenix Lodge, 1690 at
Westport. Between 1865 and 1948 a total of 22 "blue lodges" , 9 Royal Arch Chapters and a variety of allied
masonic orders were consecrated, when the area in the gold mining hey days of the 1860/70's boasted a population
of 45,000. Many miners came from Ireland, Scotland, England, Australia and the United States of America
= bringing their masonry with them. No Irish Lodges, all were either English or Scottish in persuasion.
As of 2008, 6 Lodges remain on the Coast, two English and four of the New Zealand Constitution, two others
who had their origins locally, both English Constitution meet in Nelson and Christchurch, having transferred their
charters some 30 years ago.
Refer the publications...
"Freemasonry on the West = Coast" 1865 - 2007, and
"The Greymouth Lodge 1233, - A Short History, 1866 - 2008."
Both by W.M. D.C. Stapleton
Copies held in Greymouth Library and Museum, Hokitika Library and Museum, The National Library of
New Zealand, Wellington, and the United Grand Lodge of England, Library, London.
Greymouth Lodge was consecrated May 25th 1868, the second Lodge of the district, the oldest being The Pacific
Lodge of Hokitika, 1229 E.C., 1865 in Hokitika, and still operating in = Christchurch. Originally met in the
Albion Hotel, the first W.M. was Bro. Andrew Edward Ancher, the "father of Masonry" in Greymouth, 18
foundation brethren and a further 10 initiated that day. A noon tyle and a 2am. finish....quite a day! Charter
arrived from England two years later....of interest 1233 was charter number originally of The Dunedin Lodge
(now 931, E.C.) meeting at Blenheim, U.G.L. of E. renumbered their Lodges in 1863.
By 1871 Lodge met at local Gilmers Hotel, Greymouth, 1873 they built their own rooms which were destroyed
by fire in 1887, along with sadly some of the early records of the Lodge., more temporary homes and in 1890
re-built rooms, of interest bewteen 1868 and 1890 the Lodge had processed 361 brethren, and reached a
membership high in the 1930' s of 167 brethren....today struggles for members and the roll is down to 24, but
like all Lodges can look back on a very colourful history, it remained loyal to its original constitution, when others
of Scottish and English heritage left to join the newly created Grand Lodge of New Zealand in 1894.
Over the past 140 years, the Lodge had many prominent Masons, and those prominent in community affairs, in
fact 13 brethren held the office of Mayor of Greymouth, judges, policemen, doctors, lawyers, miners, businessmen,
husbands, sons, and fathers.
1994 Lodge moved as a joint owner into the Greymouth Masonic Centre along with three N.Z.C. Lodges, and in
July 2000 left to move to their current location, the other Lodges built a replica historic set of rooms at Shantytown,
just south of Greymouth.
Lodge records are held in a strongroom located at The Amberley Lodge 2007 E.C. in North Canterbury. Just
how long Greymouth Lodge can survive is a matter of both conjecture and concern....the average age of the
brethren is approcimately 74 years of age, maybe it amalgamates with Phoenix Lodge in Westport, or maybe it
when ready just quietly fades away like many other Lodges of the Coast and elsewhere?