The New Zealand Pacific Lodge Number 2 was founded 23 November 1842 as No 758 (517) English Constitution
New Zealand Pacific Lodge History
The first moves to set up a lodge in New Zealand appear to have taken place in 1841 after cautious inquiries were made to see how many brethren were resident in the small community of Port Nicholson (Wellington). A summons to attend a meeting of all brethren on Tuesday 9th August 1842 was then placed in the Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser. The meeting was to "consider the propriety of applying for a warrant to hold a lodge in Port Nicholson". It was decided that Worshipful Brother George Smith (a past master of a London Lodge) would travel to Sydney, Australia to personally support the application. The New Zealand Pacific Lodge was originally chartered by the United Grand Lodge of England as No. 758 by dispensation from its Deputy Provincial Grand Master of the territory of Australasia (then essentially a District Grand Master) on 9th of September 1842. On September 20, Worshipful Brother Smith was installed in the body of the Lodge Of Australia as Worshipful Master of the New Zealand Pacific Lodge. The Installation ceremony taking place 1200 Miles from the Master's Lodge would have been a very rare procedure, but there seemed little alternative! Worshipful Brother Smith then travelled with the dispensation back to New Zealand. The first formal meeting of ten Brethren was held at the Southern Cross Hotel on 23 November 1842. This was the first regular lodge meeting to be held in New Zealand. The New Zealand Pacific Lodge was at the forefront in supporting the establishment of new Lodges in Wellington including that of the Leinster Lodge number 469 Irish Constitution in 1882. The Brethren celebrated the 160th Anniversary of the New Zealand Pacific Lodge in 2002. In July 2007, Pacific Leinster Lodge voted to return to the original name. From November 2007 our lodge is known as New Zealand Pacific Lodge No.2
Leinster Lodge History
The first meeting to consider the erection of the Leinster Lodge was held on 7th February 1882 at the Queens Hotel and interestingly involved members of both the English and Scottish constitutions then operating in Wellington. The title of the lodge settled on relates to the Duke of Leinster who had been Grand Master of the Irish Constitution from 1813-1874. At a second meeting later that month it was decided to ask Brother Robert Chisenhall Hamerton, Past Master to act as the first Master. He agreed, and the moves to establish the Lodge proceeded rapidly. The consecration of the lodge was held on 3rd May 1882, with the first regular meeting being held on Wednesday 4th June. The first name suggested for the Leinster Lodge was "St Patrick’s" but that was declined by the Irish Constitution Provincial Grand Master in Auckland as there had been a Lodge of that name recently constituted in Dunedin.
United Lodge of Wellington History
The United Lodge Of Wellington No. 13 was formed from the amalgamation of Lodge Waterloo No. 13, Lodge Otari No 190 and Lodge Aroha No 293.
Lodge Waterloo No. 13 was constituted on the 7th of September 1866. The original charter of the Lodge was dated 30th November 1866 and designated No 463 on the roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
When the Grand Lodge of New Zealand was formed in 1890, Lodge Waterloo became No 13 on the roll of the new Grand Lodge, and its Charter under the Grand Lodge of Scotland cancelled. That Charter was presented to the Lodge as a memorial of the years it had worked under the Scottish jurisdiction. The tracing board still on display records the original number 463. The Lodge motto "Aroha Pono A whina" means "Love, Truth, Assistance" or in other words "Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth". Lodge Otari No. 190 was constituted on the 24th day of May 1912 as No 190 on the roll of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. The name Otari was selected because of its affinity to the district taking the name of a nearby hill. The generally accepted meaning of the name is "a place where birds are snared", or "a snare for birds". Lodge Aroha No. 293 was constituted on the 1" of March 1928 as No 293 on the roll of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. The name translates as "Here dwells a sympathy, a love for thee, a sorrow, pity, sweet charity". The Lodge, noted for producing a number of Masonic scholars, met in Fifeshire Avenue for 46 years and then moved to Phillip Street, Johnsonville. In 2005, brethren of the United Lodge of Wellington No. 13 Joined Pacific Leinster Lodge.
Pacific Leinster Lodge History
Membership reductions in both lodges over the 1970-1985 period lead to the decision by the members of the Leinster Lodge to surrender their charter in 1989 and join with the Brethren in New Zealand Pacific Lodge who agreed to change their name to Pacific Leinster Lodge to reflect the merger. In 2007, the lodge voted to return to the original name of New Zealand Pacific Lodge.