Lodge de Goede Hoop, Stal Square, Cape Town

In 1772 the Masonic Order established its first lodge in the Cape under a warrant obtained from the Grand Lodge National of the Netherlands. Initially meetings were held in new buildings rented for this purpose, but after 1794 they moved to a building which stood on the site of the former Union Hotel in Plein Street belonging to Abraham de Smidt, a prominent lodge member. They subsequently purchased the building, but it soon proved to be inadequate for their needs and in 1800 they bought the grounds upon which the Lodge now stands. The property, known as Domburg Garden, already had a number of structures upon it and in 1810 it was decided to demolish them to make way for a new building. Its design was carried out by Brother Thibault, it was built by Brother Schutte at a cost of £6000, and Brother Anreith installed four symbolic figures along the walls of the temple, with another three being placed elsewhere in the building. The temple was consecrated on 7 July 1803 by Advocate JH de Mist, Commissioner of the Cape, who was also Deputy Grand Master National of the Netherlands. During the 1840s a banqueting hall was added next to the Lodge and this housed the Cape Parliament from 1854 to 1884 when the present House of Assembly was completed. In February 1892 the Lodge, together with its banqueting hall, was gutted by fire, including Anreith's four symbolic figures, and only a small section was not destroyed. The building was rebuilt, and was consecrated in April 1893, while its banqueting hall was converted to a theatre and was used as such until 1916 when it was acquired by the Government. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 6 September 1968.