Zetland Hall
Zetland Hall (Chinese: 雍仁會館) is the name given to two buildings in Hong Kong, one historic, the other modern. Both have housed Masonic Lodges.
The original Zetland Hall - Bungalow
The original Zetland Hall, fondly referred to as The Bungalow, was the first meeting hall of the Freemasons in Hong Kong.[1] It was established in the Inland Lot 34.
The second Zetland Hall was built in 1865 and destroyed by an American air raid in 1944, during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.[2]
The building was located at the upper junction of Zetland Street and Ice House Street, where a Hong Kong Electric sub-station stands today. The building was designed by the Surveyor-General, Charles St George Cleverly, who also designed Government House. The building took its name from Zetland Lodge No. 525, the Masonic lodge that built it, and that was itself named for Thomas Dundas, 2nd Earl of Zetland, Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England from 1844 to 1870.[2]
Zetland Lodge remained in use until the Second World War when it was severely damaged during an air raid. [3]
Third Zetland Hall
In the meeting on 7th July 1947, the Zetland Hall Trustee decided to sell the land of second generation Zetland Hall, i.e. Inland Lot 1875, to Hong Kong Electric & Co. by HK$900,000. In the same meeting, the Trustee decided to buy the Inland Lot 1875, the land which established a Hotel called St. George's House, with the cost HK$125,000. [1]
In May 1949, the land transaction was logged in the Land Registry of Hong Kong Government. [4]
In 1949, the architectural firm of Leigh & Orange designed new premises for the Lodge at Inland Lot 1875, i.e. 1 Kennedy Road, Mid-Levels. The foundation stone of this Lodge Building was laid on 2nd April 1949 by Right Worshipful Brother Charles Bernard Brown - District Grand Master of English Constitution and Right Worshipful Brother Arthur Anderson Dand Hon. J.G.W. - District Grand Master of Scottish Constitution. This building is also known as Zetland Hall, and has become the headquarters of the District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and the Far East (which operates as part of the United Grand Lodge of England).
English Constitution Lodges at Zetland Hall
Now, there are 19 (English Constitution) lodges under the District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and Far East, United Grand Lodge of England and meet at Zetland Hall, Hong Kong：
- Cathay Lodge No. 4373
- Corinthian Lodge of Amoy No. 1806
- Foochow Lodge No. 1912
- Harriers Lodge No. 9882
- Hong Kong and Far East District Grand Stewards Lodge No. 9879
- Lodge of Lu Pan No. 9387
- Lodge Star of Southern China No. 2013
- Paul Chater Lodge of Installed Masters No. 5391
- Perseverance Lodge of Hong Kong No. 1165
- Rotarian Lodge of Hong Kong No. 9378
- Royal Sussex Lodge No. 501
- St. Paul's Lodge No. 9718
- St Joseph’s & La Salle No. 10050
- Swatow Lodge No. 3705
- The Club Lodge No. 9880
- United Service Lodge No. 1341
- University Lodge of Hong Kong No. 3666
- Victoria Lodge of Hong Kong No. 1026
- Zetland Lodge No. 525
Note that, the Rising Lodge No. 1401 is constituted by District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and Far East rather than Grand Lodge of Japan even it is having meetings at Kirby Hall of Kobe in Japan rather than at Zetland Hall in Hong Kong.
References
- ^ a b "Zetland Hall (1st generation) - "The Bungalow" - IL 34 & IL 31 [1853-1865] | Gwulo". gwulo.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ a b History of Zetland Hall, Zetland Lodge website, accessed July 23, 2010
- ^ Hamill, John (1986). The Craft: a history of English freemasonry. Wellingborough, GB: Crucible. ISBN 978-0-85030-460-2.
- ^ "Welcome to the Land Registry Homepage". www1.iris.gov.hk. Retrieved 2024-09-02.