Duke's Bar & Restaurant - Duke's Bar & Restaurant 1057 Arawa Street

An in-depth search has been conducted of the early records of Rotorua around the time of the opening of Prince’s Gate Hotel, with the objective of ascertaining the reality or not of a real person whose name and /or presence gave rise to naming the bar “Duke’s.”

We are pleased to tell you that a number of interesting facts have been unearthed pertaining to the early life of Prince’s Gate hotel in Rotorua following its relocation from the Coromandel district (Waihi), and am confident about the conclusions.

There is no evidence of the name Duke before the hotel opened in Arawa Street Rotorua and no suggestion that the man named Duke had any pecuniary interest or any named staff position in the hotel’s journey. There is however clear evidence that soon after the hotel opened a group of colourful “regulars” emerged whose presence gave the bar an atmosphere akin to an English pub, so that it resembled a place like home to the growing number of ex-pat immigrants who were attracted to the region. Among these was a young man named Barrington who stood out because of his clothes and monocle and his behaviour that resembled that of the “landed gentry.” At first labeled as eccentric, he quickly became the centre of attention because of his seemingly unending source of money, and his spirit of generosity that made sure every patron had a refilled glass.

There was intrigue concerning his background as he had no wife and made no mention of family, here or back in England. He spoke about having lived in Hong Kong for a period, and that he had been an advisor to the English military and was known and respected in high places. The fact that the drinks were on him frequently was enough to satisfy most of the patrons that he was a good man. Where he had come from was of no concern.

However, those with an inquiring mind were quick to note that before long he was calling himself Duke and it followed quickly that the Bar at Prince’s Gate Hotel was Duke’s Bar. In a short time, you would have been hard pressed to find anyone who called him by his name, Barrington.

The research soon concluded that he was not the Duke Of Barrington, there being no such title evident, so attention turned to possible family roots that may be of interest. The
Barrington family that was closed in on was a family noted for importing foodstuffs to England, particularly spices and chocolate and tea. The head of that family, Charles Bernard Barrington was one of the first to establish his company in India following its annexation by the English. The details of his recorded history tell that he was a friend of the Duke of Wellington and at one stage travelled to East Asia with the Duke at the time he was negotiating with the Chinese for greater access for trade with that vast country. Of course, that mission ended in shame for the Duke of Wellington and the opium war that ensued. One of the outcomes was the decision of the English to lease from the Chinese a virtually unused harbour called Hong Kong, and as that began to become a major trading base, the name Barrington was on one of the trading companies. Charles Bernard had a wife who bore him a son who was named Bernard Charles and who at the right time was sent home to England to study and then return to HK and the family business. The family notes mention that young Bernard was regularly in the company of the 2nd Duke of Wellington, the 1st Dukes son, with whom he formed a close and lasting friendship. When the time came for the son to return to Hong Kong he reluctantly obeyed but made it clear he had no interest in the family business.

There is a gap in the record of the family, but it is known that the senior Barrington died in Asia in middle age and his widow sold all assets and returned to England. Her son did not follow and in the absence of any other information it is assumed he stayed in Hong Kong. A few years later he was the only beneficiary of his mother’s estate when she died, and it is noted that he had no interest in returning to England but left Hong Kong to explore the antipodes. Could he be the “Duke” of the English symbol in Rotorua? Several things suggest it is so; his likeness to his father was confirmed by a close friend of his father who, when questioned about this young man, recognized the characteristics that were used to describe him as being uncannily similar to the physical stature and features of his friend and in particular his eccentric habits, also his unlimited supply of money, his desire to assume the name Duke in recognition of the care and concern given by the Duke of Wellington, and his practice of care and concern for others potentially lonely and away from home.

We dare to say he deserves the name, and the name deserves him. Let Duke’s Bar and Restaurant be a place like home, a place where whoever you are you are welcomed and embraced, a place of warmth and excellent food and drink. If you are a part of Rotorua, Duke’s is your place. If you are travelling through, Duke’s will welcome you and you will be glad you came.

Footnote: Sadly, the Duke did spend it all and only occasionally will someone tell you, “the drinks are on me.” But maybe you’ll be surprised!