By 1865, the land wars in the Taranaki region of New Zealand had virtually ended.  A decade of open conflict was over.  New Plymouth was the headquarters of a large number of Imperial Troops and many of the Officers belonged to the Masonic fraternity.  In 1864 these military Brethren started planning for the erection of a Lodge under the Grand Lodge if Ireland.  Thus born of conflict and of a military tradition the De Burgh Adams Lodge emerged.

On 13th January 1865 formal application was made to the Provincial Deputy Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of New Zealand, namely RW Brother Henry De Burgh Adams, for a dispensation to open and work a Lodge in New Plymouth to be called the De Burgh Adams Lodge. Later that month the dispensation was received and on 8th February 1865 an assembly of Brethren met at the Lodge room, Masonic Hotel, Devon Street on the site presently occupied by the Bank of NZ on the corner of Devon and Brougham Streets.

Thus the Lodge was duly constituted and was the first Lodge opened under the new Provincial Grand Lodge of New Zealand, Grand Lodge of Ireland and named after the Provincial Grand Master of the time.  These days Lodges are not permitted to be named after a living Brother of the fraternity. Unfortunately because of the distance from Auckland and his Masonic and Army duties, Henry was never able to visit this Lodge and he departed for England in November 1866 never to return.

Over the years the Lodge has had several homes firstly in a purpose built Lodge in Robe Street where the local Mt Egmont Lodge (English Constitution) became tenants. This building served the Lodge well from 1882 until 1956 when it was sold to the local Operatic Society.  There after De Burgh Adams Lodge became a tenant of the Ngamotu Lodge in Liardet Street and in early 1989 moved temporarily as a tenant of Sir Donal McLean Lodge in Waitara.

In 1991 the Lodge bought a property at 9 Lawry Street in New Plymouth and renovated and modified it for its Masonic purposes.  Mt Egmont Lodge became a tenant and subsequently the Research Lodge of Taranaki (NZ Constitution) joined as a tenant too.
In 2015 the De Burgh Adams Lodge No. 446  I.C. celebrated 150 years of happy and successful existence.  The Lodge has always had a strong leadership component and has always been the pre-eminent Lodge in the Taranaki District.  It can rightly make this claim by virtue of its financial strength, social and charitable excellence and the high standard of its ceremonial performance.  Henry De Burgh Adams’ name will live on proudly because of these qualities.