The Riverhead, Riverhead

The claim

At the head of the upper Waitematā Harbour, this riverside tavern and its wharf were once the gateway to the north for settlers, before roads and railways arrived. It claims a founding in 1857 and bills itself as New Zealand's oldest riverside tavern. A painstaking 2010-11 restoration kept the old building's character, and there's a restaurant, a bar and a boathouse on the water.

What the records show

The owners' history says Thomas William Deacon established the house in 1857 and claims New Zealand's second-oldest liquor licence, which the Thistle Inn in Wellington also claims; no licensing record has been traced for either. The New Zealand Herald, reporting the tavern's sale on 10 October 2019, gives the same year — the house began trading in 1857 and is believed to be the country's oldest riverside tavern — which is a second publisher for the year rather than a second line of evidence, since it names no record behind it. Auckland's district plan schedules 33 York Terrace as historic heritage under the name Foresters' Arms (former) and Riverhead Hotel, category B, protecting the historic portion of the tavern building. That is an independent record of an old tavern on the site, and of an earlier name the pub no longer uses, but it fixes no date.

What to look for inside

Gateway wharf for northern settlers before roads and rail
Claims NZ's second-oldest liquor licence
Restored 2010-11

Visiting

The Riverhead is in Riverhead, New Zealand, at 33 York Terrace, Riverhead, Auckland 0820. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.

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