Greytown Hotel (1875 Great North Road)

We know from early maps of the district in the 1860s that across the Rosebank Road from where you stand now was the site of the Greytown Hotel. Taking advantage of proximity to a natural spring flowing down the hill from what is now the railway station, John and Charles Priestley had a 10pm closing license from April 1862. By October 1863, Henry Denyer was the publican, followed by James Nugent Copland, and David Henderson by 1867, and Edward Thornton by early 1871. The last publican here was James Poppleton. The hotel burned down in December 1872, and the licence was transferred to James Palmer’s Whau Hotel at the Five Roads intersection in 1873.

In the 20th century, an old wooden shop stood here but was destroyed by fire. In the early 1950s, the Avondale Business Association used the empty space to put up Christmas trees. The present building dates from the late 1950s.

Cross Great North Road at the crossing.