Discovery
The Ivory Gavels of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand
Edited by R.W. Bro. William M. Reiach
The Ivory Gavels and Striking Blocks are the property of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand and were donated to that Grand Lodge by the late Bro. Frederick James Browne.

The actual date of Bro. Browne’s birth is not known to us, however he died on 22nd September, 1919, aged 57, which makes the year of his birth c.1862.

We have no information regarding his life between 1862 and 1895, but on the 9th August, 1895, Bro Browne was Initiated into Otaki Lodge, No.72, New Zealand Constitution.

Freemasonry made an immense appeal to Bro. Browne, for he became very enthusiastic about the Craft, and showed a keen desire for Masonic knowledge.

In 1897, some eighteen months after his Initiation, the news of the great gold strike in the Yukon reached New Zealand and like many others he at once started out on the long journey to that beautiful and far away land.

He landed in Victoria, British Columbia during the month of August, only to learn with regret that it was practically useless to try and get to the Klondike at that season of the year because the hard Winter was close at hand and would effectually prevent anyone from using the Yukon River as a means of transportation. He therefore decided to defer his planned journey and remain in Victoria until the Spring of 1898. During his stay in Victoria he received a truly Masonic welcome from the Brethren, resident there.

Bro. Browne in a subsequent letter, mentioned two brethren in particular, whose kindness he wished to acknowledge. They were, W.Bro. Farquar McCrae, (P.M. of the St.Andrews Lodge, No3, Auckland, New Zealand, and an old headmaster of the High School there), and Bro. Harry Sheppard, Head of the Victoria police. He went on to say that these two men and the whole Masonic Fraternity, including the Royal Arch Chapter, had extended the kindest and best treatment which he remembered for the rest of his life.

To Bro. Browne, this proclaimed the fact that Masons have friends, and good friends, even amongst strangers and impressed upon his mind that there was absolute proof of Masonic teachings, and showed the duty we all owe to the Fraternity.

He was then a young Mason, and to see the teachings learned in his Mother Lodge (Otaki), so practically exemplified towards himself, he decided that he could not do too much for such a Fraternity, and out of this grew the idea which resulted in his eventually donating the Gavels and Striking Blocks to Grand Lodge.

Believing that the Winter had almost terminated, Bro. Browne, with others, eager to reach their objective, set out on the long journey to the frozen North. They had not gone very far, when they were met by a recurrence of a Winter Storm. Their progress was hindered, and their food supplies began to get low. Struggling on they found themselves at a small Indian Camp and applied for food and shelter. The Indians, however, turned them away, saying that they had barely enough for their own needs. They were about to resume their journey, when a man, who later turned out to be an Englishman, offered to speak to the Indians on their behalf.

On his return, he informed them that the Indians had consented to them remaining in the Camp and that they would share what food they had with them. The man who had interceded on their behalf explained that when he saw the Masonic emblem on Bro. Browne’s watch chain, he realized that he had a duty to perform. Bro. Browne stated afterwards that this act appealed to him immensely and quickened his desire to show his appreciation of it.

Bro. Browne’s claim was a rich one and he was looking forward to being able to accumulate enough money to be comfortable for the rest of his life.

While digging his claim, he uncovered a Mastodon Tusk from the frozen ground on one of the banks of the creeks. Thus was born the idea for the Gavels and Striking Blocks.		 There was some delay in the completion of the Gavels and Striking Blocks, because of finding a sufficient quantity of matched nuggets, which were themselves a rarity, and of which were required 400 large nuggets, 219 of medium size and 55 smaller ones, a total of 674 altogether.

The Gavels and Striking Blocks are made from
the tusk of a Mastodon, and were carved and
ornamented with gold bands upon which the matched nuggets were mounted. The Grand Master’s Gavel has 219 nuggets on the head, and 55 smaller ones on the handle. Also carved on the Master’s Gavel are the lines, ”Let us work while it is yet day, for the night cometh when no man can work.” On his Striking Block are mounted the 400 larger nuggets.

Plain gold bands adorn the Warden’s Gavels and
Striking Blocks. Each Striking Block is really a slice from the Mastodon Tusk. The Gavels and Striking Blocks were carved and finished by a firm of Jewelers in Dawson City. A special Oak case was made for the Gavels and Striking Blocks which was lined with Blue Velvet and the outside of the lid was decorated with a painting of Bro. Browne’s claim.

Before the gift was sent to New Zealand, Bro. Browne conceived the idea of having them used, Masonically, in the land of their construction and as a meeting was being held in Dawson City in connection with a visit by R.W. Bro. Elkington, D.D.G.M., of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba to the most Northerly Lodge of Freemasons in the World, arrangements were made for their use on that occasion. Accordingly Bro. Browne advanced to the East and in a few words asked the presiding officer to use them at that meeting, after which they would be forwarded to
the most Southerly Jurisdiction in the World. The request was readily granted.

At a later stage, Bro. Browne’s good fortune deserted him, when large wealthy syndicates were formed and checked the richest claims to find any legal errors or omissions in their execution. Finding some technical defect in Bro. Browne’s claim they immediately claimed it for themselves and took possession.

Unable to find redress, Bro. Browne fell ill and his mental balance was affected to the extent that he had to be cared for by the State. He returned to New Zealand, but his health never recovered. He resigned from Lodge Otaki in 1915 and joined Lodge Whangarei No.102, having moved to that City. He died on 22nd September 1919.

An inspection of the Cemetery where he is buried
revealed that it was now converted to a Lawn Cemetery, but the location of the exact burial spot of Bro. Browne had been found and the Brethren of the Lodge saw to it that it was properly marked and identified.

When the gift was sent to New Zealand, special
arrangements had to be made with the Postmaster General of Canada for their safe transit.

The gift was presented to Grand Lodge on 10th May, 1905, by M.W .Bro. R. J. Seddon, who deputized for M.W. Bro. H. J. Williams who had been requested by the donor to hand over the gift on his behalf.

The value of the set of Gavels and Striking Blocks
cannot be accurately stated. The Ivory from the
Mastodon Tusk is irreplaceable and the matched
natural nuggets can never be duplicated. Their true value is inestimable. As the Ivory is becoming brittle, the gavels are no longer used at the Annual Communications but are securely kept in the custody of the Grand Lodge.

 

Editor’s Note: This Article was taken from a letter written in 1933 by R.W. Bro. Col . George Barclay, P.D.G.M., Grand Secretary,and sent to The Ontario Mason Magazine by Harry Hulmes, P.M., Lodge Kerikeri, No. 402, New Zealand.