The isolated and historic Wimbledon Tavern has closed to locals, with its owners saying an “evil” community around it made keeping the doors open unviable. 

Eric Gathercole and his wife Susan, have owned the tavern in Tararua, 20km south of Pōrangahau, since 2018. 

They say they will now only open to outside groups of 20 to 50 people and car clubs who book in advance. 

Gathercole said they plan to continue living in the pub on Route 52 for the foreseeable future. 

“It was never going to make us millionaires, but that wasn’t the plan anyway.” 

Gathercole said there was nothing more he could do to keep the doors of the building, which is listed as a Category 2 Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand, open to the public and those living locally. 

“[We] will only entertain groups of people that prebook at least two months in advance to allow special licences to be applied for and granted.” 

He had been working fulltime in Hastings and said he had spent an estimated $200,000 in the last seven years on the building and business, which, in recent times, had only brought in an income of less than $300 a week. 

The historic Wimbledon Tavern once saw people stopping by to have a drink and meal. 

“We quite like living rurally, we quite like the isolation ... we quite like being there. 

“We are not just f***** Aucklanders. 

“It’s my house... if I won Lotto tomorrow I’d put it on a truck and take it somewhere.” 

He said they announced the closure to the community by slipping notes into fish and chip orders that said it would be official on October 31. 

No one responded to the notes, he said. 

“The community turned against us. 

“There is no empathy that exists in the district - all that exists is evil.” 

He said increasing costs and a lack of turnover in recent years led them to host the annual meeting for the Mongrel Mob’s Barbarians Dannevirke Chapter on December 16, 2023. 

He then claimed the backlash to that decision led to the business description of the Wimbledon Tavern being changed on Google to say they were ‘permanently closed’. 

“I don’t think you realise the pressure we have been under in the last two years, it has been unbelievably stressful, and I can’t see beyond that.” 

Gathercole said he was grateful for the eight to 10 locals who had supported the pub. 

“People haven’t got the money these days. 

“Of that core group, probably six of them come to the pub once a week, and spend just under $100 each - it just doesn’t work. 

“We know we were doing the right thing. People from outside of the district came along and were amazed at our food and our hosting.” 

Tararua North Ward councillor Erana Peeti Webber said the Wimbledon community was a close-knit one and people cared about each other, but didn’t have a lot of money. 

“Times are pretty tough at the moment in all the communities, really, and such a small area where they are. 

“It doesn’t help with the Herbertville pub all done up, and it’s probably the new thing. 

“They all normally support each other, but obviously something has happened out there.” 

Peeti-Webber said new mayor Scott Gilmore was looking at reviving a ‘love local’ campaign to help hospitality businesses in the district.