By Leigh O'Connor, Editor.
In the heart of New Plymouth, the White Hart Hotel stands as a majestic witness to the changing tides of New Zealand history. With its grand white verandahs and striking architecture, this landmark is far more than a building - it’s a living, breathing embodiment of the spirit of Taranaki.
For more than 150 years, the White Hart has welcomed, sheltered and stirred generations, evolving from a humble settler refuge into one of the most iconic and storied hotels in the country.
The story begins in 1844, just four years after the founding of New Plymouth. What started as a six-room timber house quickly found purpose - first as shelter for struggling settlers, then a makeshift hospital during the Taranaki Wars.
By 1859, it became a licensed hotel and in 1886, it was reborn as a palatial Italianate-style building, designed by local architect James Sanderson using native timber. With sweeping verandahs, elegant detailing and a life-sized stag statue poised proudly on the roof, the hotel grew into a symbol of the city’s aspirations and resilience.
However, the White Hart was never just bricks and mortar - it was a magnet for drama, intrigue and celebration. In 1893, it was the site of one of New Zealand’s most legendary holdups, when notorious highwayman Robert Wallath burst through the saloon doors on horseback, revolver drawn and rode off into history with cash and whisky in hand.
Decades later, in the 1970s and 80s, the hotel’s walls would pulse with the thunder of live music, becoming a gritty hub for punk rock, blues and youth rebellion. Bands like Sticky Filth and The Dregs found their voice here, while the infamous Magog Motorcycle Club made it their home, bringing with them a certain rowdy mystique that only deepened the White Hart’s mythology.
By the turn of the 21st Century, the building had faded. Its once-proud façade was crumbling, the interior falling into disrepair. Yet beneath the layers of wear, something precious remained. Recognising its cultural and historical worth, local visionaries Harvey Dunlop and Jeremy Thomson took a leap of faith in 2002 and purchased the dilapidated hotel. What followed was a remarkable resurrection. Working with award-winning architects, they embarked on an ambitious restoration that honoured the past while welcoming the future.
The result was a masterclass in adaptive reuse. The building’s original bones - its timber beams, heritage façades and cobbled laneways - were lovingly preserved. New life was breathed in through modern design: a glass-roofed courtyard now glows between the walls, public dining spaces spill out onto the street and light streams through the upper verandahs where revelry once reigned. The White Hart was no longer a shadow of its former self - it had been reborn.
Today, the hotel is the heartbeat of New Plymouth’s cultural precinct. Its courtyard hums with conversation, the scent of espresso and wood-fired fare drifting from Public Catering Co. Inside the historic Snug Lounge, velvet armchairs and an open fire invite intimate moments under the same timber ceiling that once echoed with punk riffs. Beyond the food and drink, boutique retail spaces and creative offices nestle within, blending tradition and innovation in every corner.
To visit the White Hart is to step into the story of New Plymouth itself. Every weather-worn panel, every flourish of carved woodwork, every echo in its corridors tells a tale of bold settlers, wild nights, near ruin and fierce revival. It is a place of memory and momentum - a symbol of what it means to cherish the past while embracing the future. In the White Hart, history is not just remembered - it’s lived, every day.
Editor's Note: As a proud Taranaki native, the White Hart was where we would head after a day at the newspaper office to unwind and recap the week that had been. When the newspaper held its 10-year reunion after it closed down...where did we head for a cheeky Espresso Martini?
