Forrester's Hall

The Foresters’ Lodge Hall was constructed in 1908 in Spring Street, Tauranga. The local branch of the Foresters’ Lodge began in Tauranga when a meeting was called at an establishment in Wharf Street during January 1880.

The name of the Tauranga Lodge was “Court Royal Oak No. 6497” and the first candidate was initiated on 20 March 1880. 

The aims of the Lodge were to protect members in pre-Social Welfare days against hardship to the family caused by sickness, accident and death. Each Court appointed its own honourary medical officer.

The Foresters Lodge flourished in Tauranga and in 1908 was in a position to build, without extra fund raising, a new hall in Spring Street. The hall drew much praise from the townspeople with the facings and architraves picked out in green and red against a cream background.

The new building was opened on 25 November 1908 by the Mayor. Over the years, the Foresters were never as strong as some of the other societies and by the beginning of the 1930s the society had collapsed. The hall was taken over by the Borough Council in whom it had been vested.

In 1934 it was moved to the back of the section to enable the ladies public restroom to be built.

During 1936 St John Ambulance used the hall for cadet classes and vacated the building in 1952 to move to new premises in Cameron Road. The hall then became the bandroom for the Tauranga Municipal Brass Band for the remainder of its time in this location.

In 1989 the Tauranga City Council, which now owned the building, sold the land to the Tauranga Electric Power Board. The City Council moved the old Foresters’ Lodge Building to the Historic Village/Museum on 21 December 1989 where it was restored. The Municipal Band also moved to the Historic Village/Museum to occupy an alternative building.

The Foresters’ Hall is now being utilised to house a developing display of model ships.