The Corinthian Lodge, No. 1655, under the United Grand Lodge of England, was founded on the fifth day of October 1876 and consecrated on Thursday the 16th November 1876 at the Masonic Hall, Queen Street Thames, by W Bro. M.S. Leers, P.M. No. 942 Deputy District Grand Master, pro tem, assisted by W.Bro G.S. Graham, P.M. No 689 as D.S.G.W. and W.Bro. W.R. Robinson as D.J.D.W., W.Bro. Edward Thomas Wildman, P.M. No. 927 E.C., being the first Master.
The names of the Brethren who signed the Charter were E.T. Wildman, Louis Ehrenfried (a brewer), Henry Goldsmith, Alexander Aiten, Edwin Wise Hollis, Alfred George Horton,
(a newspaper publisher), John Edwin MacDonald and others.
The Charter dated 23rd November, 1876 received from the
United Grand Lodge of England, was signed by Skelmersdale, D.G.M. and John Hervey, G.S.
The monthly meetings of the Corinthian Lodge have been held regularly ever since without a break. In the year 1928 the building in Martha Street was completed and the Lodge shifted from the Masonic Hall, Queen Street to the new temple.
During the first year of its existence the Lodge was under the jurisdiction of the District Grand Lodge for the North Island of New Zealand, headquarters at Wellington but in 1877 District Grand Lodge of Auckland was founded and consequently it came under the latter's jurisdiction, until the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand was again formed.