First Meeting
A view of Yates St. with the T. N. Hibben & Co. store in the top right.

    On the evening of August 20th, 1860, a group of prominent Victoria men met above the T. N. Hibben & Co. store on Yates Street for the first time. The Victoria Lodge No. 1085 on the Grand Registry of England was finally meeting after a year and a half of work and planning. These men first advertised their desire to form a lodge in the British Colonist, announcing a meeting above the store owned by J.J. Southgate, one of the lodge's founding members. Due to some "informality, and to the charter being sent via Cape Horn, nearly eighteen months expired before [the charter] arrived."


The T. N. Hibben and Company storefront.
The first lodge room above the T. N. Hibben & Co. store

    The Officers were installed by Past Master Robert Burnaby, assisted by Past Master Henry Aguilar, of the H.M.S. Grappler. The names of the office bearers are:

  • J.J. Southgate, Worshipful Master
  • George Pearkes, Senior Warden
  • William. Jeffray, Junior Warden
  • J.N. Thain, Treasurer
  • Amor De Cosmos, Secretary
  • Wm H. Thain, Senior Deacon
  • K. Gambitz, Junior Deacon
  • Lumley Franklin, Inner Guard
  • J.R. McDonald, Outer Guard.
Members Visitors
  • Richard Lewis
  • Winston Lintro
  • ? Tach
  • Wm. Ginycker
  • Nathan Loewnthal
  • N.E. Boureo
Another view of the first lodge room
THE BRITISH COLONIST
Wednesday morning, August 22, 1860
MASONIC LODGE.- We take great pleasure in announcing that a Masonic Lodge, under the name of "Victoria Lodge No. 1085," was organized in Victoria on Monday evening last. This is the first lodge of the Order ever established here, or in fact, in any part of the British possessions on the Pacific. The Charter was obtained from the Grand Lodge of England. The petition for the charter was forwarded to England in December, 1858, but owing to some informality, and to the charter being sent out via Cape Horn, nearly eighteen months expired before it arrived. Since its arrival the installation of officers has been delayed to Monday evening last, in order to suitably fit up the Lodge Room over Messrs. Hibben and Carswell's store, Yates street. We must say that the manner in which that has been done reflects great credit on the Order; in fact, there are few Masonic Halls on the Pacific coast better furnished, or more in keeping with the ancient landmarks of the fraternity. The Officers were installed by Past Master Robert Burnaby, assisted by Past Master Henry Aguilar, of H.M.S. Grappler. The names of the office bearers are J.J. Southgate, W.M..; George Pearkes, S.W.; Wm. Jeffray, J.W.; J.N. Thain, T.; A. De Cosmos, S.; Wm H. Thain, S.D.; K. Gambitz, J.D.; L. Franklin, I.G.; J.R. McDonald, O.G.


A layout of a Masonic lodge with the names and positions of the founding members of the first Victoria Lodge.

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New Lodge
Laying the first cornerstone of Victoria's Masonic lodge.

650 Fisgard St.,
Victoria BC, V8W 1R6

    On April 22nd, 1878 the corner stone of the new lodge hall was laid on the corner of Fisgard and Douglas St. The lodge was designed by freemason John Teague, who also designed many other buildings in Victoria including City Hall and the 1886 addition to St. Ann's Convent.

The new Masonic Temple in 1880
Storefronts with the Lodge entrance in the middle
The east end of the Lodge room in the new Masonic Temple
The west end of the new Lodge room
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