Knight Templar Masonry first came to New Zealand when on 4 October 1869 the Chapter General of Scotland, (one of the two bodies which amalgamated in 1909 to form the Great Priory of Scotland), issued a Charter in response to the petition dated 8 June of that year of Robert Paterson, William Caldwell, J. Mills, John Campbell and J.S. Douglas. The Charter, in handwritten form and bearing only a crest for heading, constituted the ‘Priory of Otago’ to hold a chapter of the said Order in the province of Otago, naming Robert Paterson as ‘Prior of the Temple in Otago’. Robert Paterson was to become the first Knight Commander of the Temple in New Zealand and the Priory of Otago was the oldest Preceptory on the roll of the Great Priory of Scotland outside of its own shores.
Nothing followed for over a decade when, in Christchurch, The Royal Canterbury Preceptory No. 142 was formed under the Great Priory of England, somewhere about 1880 under warrant dated 20 November 1878. The only evidence of its time of founding is a copy of an old summons, dated 1882, and showing Dr. William Deamer as Eminent Preceptor. The Preceptory went into abeyance soon after but was re-constituted as No.246 in 1927.
The minute book still exists showing a Preceptory at Timaru, constituted on 27 February 1883 by Dr. Deamer, also under the Great Priory of England, titled Plantagenet No.150. Its life was to be very brief, its last meeting being recorded as 18 January 1884. Dr. Deamer became the first Provincial Prior for New Zealand, but his tenure must have been very short as his only two Preceptories had such short lives.
Probably because of the various problems associated with the founding of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, and many erstwhile Lodges and members losing their affiliations with the United Kingdom, there was no activity at all in founding any Christian Orders for two or three decades. During, and soon after the 1914-18 war, many joined Freemasonry, many new Lodges and Chapters were opened and it followed that, perhaps seeking further knowledge and advancement, some joined in forming new Preceptories.
The first flush of Preceptories were De Molay in Auckland and St. Augustine in Christchurch, both of which received Charters dated 11 March 1921 and being petitioned for by nearly identical lists of Knights. Common to both were Ralph Valentine King who became the first Preceptor of De Molay; Sydney Clifton Bingham who became first Preceptor of St. Augustine; George Barclay, Grand Secretary of the Craft and with S. Clifton Bingham and George Russell very prominent in several Masonic Orders as well as in the Craft; Major Arthur Landsdell Gray who was involved in founding the Royal Order of Scotland in New Zealand; and Thomas Ross, Grand Master of the Craft at the time who took office in both Preceptories. De Molay was constituted on 9 May and St. Augustine on 10 August 1921.
Other Scottish Preceptories followed in Wellington (2), Nelson, and Blenheim in the twenties, materially promoted by George Russell who became District Grand Prior and received quite a name for ‘planting the Scottish thistle’. In 1927 Royal Canterbury was revived. None of its original members were involved in its new phase, its resurrection being promoted by William Thomas Charlewood who had assisted with the formation of St. Augustine. As a quid pro quo S. Clifton Bingham of St. Augustine, a past District Grand Seneschal, assisted with the opening of the revival of Royal Canterbury and, for his labours, was immediately after the opening of the new Preceptory elected a joining member, taking ‘an oath of allegiance’. This involvement with another Constitution did not please his Scottish superior in New Zealand, but defiantly he took office in the English Preceptory and subsequently, in 1930 became Provincial Prior for New Zealand, holding this office until his death in 1939.
In 1929 Preceptories were opened at both ends of the country, Waitemata in Auckland and Southland in Invercargill, respectively English and Scottish, heralding a steady growth, in spite of a depressed economy in the thirties and the constraints of war between 1939 and 1945, boom times following when Masonry generally reflected an expansive period. Notable among Waitemata’s petitioners were A.S. Bankart, District Grand Master for Auckland, W.T. Charlewood abovementioned, and Major William George Wray, later to become Provincial Prior. Southland’s petitioners were headed by George Barclay, Grand Secretary of the Craft, made Past Deputy Grand Master that year and now a Knight Grand Cross of Scottish Templary, and Evan McKenzie Lyon, destined to be District Grand Prior on the formation of the new District of New Zealand South.
Taranaki and Southern Cross Preceptories followed in 1931 at New Plymouth and Auckland, George Barclay again appearing as a promoter of both and George Russell of the former. Notable among Southern Cross petitioners were Archibald Burns, named as first Preceptor and one to become a very powerful figure in the Order, District Grand Master that year and now a Knight Grand Cross; and Norman Berridge Spencer, a particularly distinguished person in nearly all Masonic spheres, a learned and benevolent Mason who was Provincial Prior for New Zealand for six years, a K.C.T. and a petitioner for five Preceptories in his District.
The 1930s and war years saw Scottish Preceptories opened at Gisborne, Whangarei and Hamilton, and English ones at Auckland, Patea and Eltham, Knight Templary now getting into full swing for giant strides in the post-war years. Now there came three more in the forties, six in the fifties, slowing down, five in the sixties and three in the seventies.
This brief history cannot do justice to the many whose labours, and devotion to the Order, saw Preceptories commence and flourish. Mention has been made of only some of the more prominent Templars but, among the District and Provincial leaders and officers, and among the early officers of Preceptories are many whose sterling efforts must meanwhile remain unrecorded.
With air transport easing the rigours of travel from the United Kingdom, leaders of both English and Scottish Templary visited their far-flung domains, Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey, Grand Seneschal of Scotland, coming in 1955 to constitute the newly split-off Districts of North, Central and South, and to install the District Grand Priors. The Grand Master for Scotland, Ian Logan MacKean came in 1972, constituting Poneke Preceptory and cementing strongly the ties binding the Order at home and abroad. In 1977 Harold Devereux Still, Grand Master for England, also paid a visit, followed in 1980 by another Scottish Grand Master, David Liddell-Grainger. Visits such as these have been tremendously beneficial to the Order, demonstrating at first hand the concern of the United Kingdom leaders for their distant Knights.
As early as 1927 some Knights were of the opinion that with seven Preceptories in New Zealand self-government was desirable. But the matter received little support until 1936 when it was again raised and permission received from Scotland for a test vote taken in one Preceptory to ascertain the strength of feeling. With the war intervening, the proposal was shelved until more stable times and more growth in the Order. Following the war, discussions on an unofficial basis continued among the various leaders of the Order but, on a vote being taken in some Scottish Preceptories in 1966 the result was inconclusive as insufficient votes were received for a fair expression of opinion. The movement towards ‘home-rule’ was now gaining a momentum which would not be denied. The Central Scottish District severed its connection in 1970 with Scotland, forming itself into the Grand Priory of New Zealand but not joined by any others.
With the sanction of both English and Scottish Great Priories, final moves towards sovereignty were commenced in late 1981 when, at an historic meeting held in conjunction with the installation of R. Em. Frater T.G.N. Carter as District Grand Prior for the Scottish Elgin District, and attended by all Provincial and District Grand Priors in the country, a firm decision was taken to test the Preceptories on their interest in the formation of a United Great Priory for all Scottish and English Preceptories in New Zealand. Votes were taken in Preceptories showing an overwhelming majority now wished to proceed to this end. Much preparatory work was done in 1982 and 1983 by those involved, leading to the Constitution of the United Great Priory on 17 February 1984 by the Great Vice-Chancellor for England, R. Em. Kt. W.J. Leake, G.C.T., representatives from Scotland unfortunately being unable to be present.
A period followed during which both Great Priory and the Grand Priory of New Zealand, which had not secured overseas recognition, existed together, unsatisfactory for both parties and inevitably leading to approaches being made for reconciliation. Through the good offices of the Grand Masters of both bodies, and the goodwill on both sides towards solving contentious factors, it was agreed that steps be taken to effect a union. Following a favourable ballot of members of The Grand Priory of New Zealand, the two bodies, for the good of Knight Templar Masonry, effected a fraternal amalgamation by merging them into one in the United Great Priory in New Zealand, under Articles of Union which were entered into on 29 October 1988 at a meeting of Reconciliation and Union held at Wellington on that date.