Midworlder's Fotothing

Bay of Islands - Russell - New Zealand's first European Settlement


Duke of Marlborough Hotel - Russell

In 1827 the land was purchased by John Johnson, who built the first hotel on the site. The Duke of Marlborough Hotel holds the No. 1 Licence to keep an Inn or Public House, issued on 14th July 1840 by the Colonial Treasury of New Zealand. It is the only hotel remaining of some nine hotels originally trading in Russell.

The present building is the fourth on the site, the first having been burnt down in 1845 by Hone Heke of Flagstaff fame. It was rebuilt only to be burnt down 30 years later and the third Duke of Marlborough Hotel was built. This, however, suffered the same fate when the boarding house “The Gables” next door caught fire and the hotel was burned down as well.