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ALBUM - Monteith's 140 year Pale Ale beer launch,1868-2008.
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Description140-year Pale Ale beer launch. (1868-2008). Opening new building 2012.
Monteith's Brewery Company was originally a family-owned brewing company until it was bought by D B Breweries. It continued to brew its beers on the West Coast of New Zealand until DB decided that the cost of keeping production there was no longer viable. The Greymouth brewery was closed on 22 March 2001 but reopened four days later following a public outcry.
The beers are now produced in Auckland, and Timaru as well as Greymouth. On 25 July 2012, the newly transformed Greymouth brewery was officially reopened by Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn and manager Tony Mercer after 18 months of refurbishment.
The brand Monteith's has existed only since 1990 and the connection back to the original Stuart Monteith, who didn't even name his brewery after himself (it was called Phoenix), is tenuous at best.
In 1927, Monteith's Phoenix Brewery was one of five – in Reefton, Hokitika and Kumara – that amalgamated to become Westland Breweries, a company headed by Stuart's son, William Monteith. The new organisation was based at Turumaha Street, Greymouth, but there was no brewery on site, just a bottling plant until 1949 when a centralised brewery started to take over the operations of the other breweries in the group.
One by one, the breweries making up Westland Breweries were closed, with the original Monteith-owned Phoenix Brewery in Reefton pumping out its last beer in 1963, leaving the centralised Greymouth plant the only one servicing the area. In 1969, the expanding empire of Dominion Breweries took over and the brewery became known as DB Westland Breweries.
Though run under the DB banner, Westland Breweries for a long time produced beers popular on the Coast and reflecting the history of the brewery as a group enterprise: Westbrew Golden Lager, Tira Pale Ale, Westland Extra Stout, Westbrew Bitter, Monteith's Pale Ale (the first sign of Monteith's as brand), Morley's Special Stout and Westland Golden Draught.
In 1990, when DB was going through its rebranding exercise, it decided to drop the “DB” tag from the brewery name and “create” some history around one of the original driving forces behind West Coast brewing: the Monteith family. It gambled on renaming the brewery Monteith's and creating a range of products under that label.Date of Photo2012Map[1] ContributorTony Kokshoorn
Monteith's Brewery Company was originally a family-owned brewing company until it was bought by D B Breweries. It continued to brew its beers on the West Coast of New Zealand until DB decided that the cost of keeping production there was no longer viable. The Greymouth brewery was closed on 22 March 2001 but reopened four days later following a public outcry.
The beers are now produced in Auckland, and Timaru as well as Greymouth. On 25 July 2012, the newly transformed Greymouth brewery was officially reopened by Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn and manager Tony Mercer after 18 months of refurbishment.
The brand Monteith's has existed only since 1990 and the connection back to the original Stuart Monteith, who didn't even name his brewery after himself (it was called Phoenix), is tenuous at best.
In 1927, Monteith's Phoenix Brewery was one of five – in Reefton, Hokitika and Kumara – that amalgamated to become Westland Breweries, a company headed by Stuart's son, William Monteith. The new organisation was based at Turumaha Street, Greymouth, but there was no brewery on site, just a bottling plant until 1949 when a centralised brewery started to take over the operations of the other breweries in the group.
One by one, the breweries making up Westland Breweries were closed, with the original Monteith-owned Phoenix Brewery in Reefton pumping out its last beer in 1963, leaving the centralised Greymouth plant the only one servicing the area. In 1969, the expanding empire of Dominion Breweries took over and the brewery became known as DB Westland Breweries.
Though run under the DB banner, Westland Breweries for a long time produced beers popular on the Coast and reflecting the history of the brewery as a group enterprise: Westbrew Golden Lager, Tira Pale Ale, Westland Extra Stout, Westbrew Bitter, Monteith's Pale Ale (the first sign of Monteith's as brand), Morley's Special Stout and Westland Golden Draught.
In 1990, when DB was going through its rebranding exercise, it decided to drop the “DB” tag from the brewery name and “create” some history around one of the original driving forces behind West Coast brewing: the Monteith family. It gambled on renaming the brewery Monteith's and creating a range of products under that label.Date of Photo2012Map[1] ContributorTony Kokshoorn
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Location (city or town)GreymouthOrganisation (eg business)Monteith's EventMonteith's 140-year Pale Ale beer launch,1868-2008 - Opening new building
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Date Created28th September 2022CommentsGlenn Johnston
Not quite. Monteiths amalgamated with other breweries in 1927 to form Westland Breweries. DB then bought out Westland Breweries in 1969. So Monteith's was not "family owned" until bought by DB but part of a company that also had non family ownership from 1927 to 1969. The 1868 date is also a compromise date; Reefton did not exist until later but some founder companies of Westland Breweries bought by DB date back to 1865 and Stewart Monteith was an employee of Pizzey in Hokitika prior to 1868.
Dave Lyes
Glenn Johnston banks were also very good at buying tiny older banks and absorbing their age into their own conglomerate to give the effect of a long and lustrous service.
Alan Messenger
I no longer drink Monteiths.
Allan Archer
Well said Glenn Johnston Stewart Monteith was an employee of Pizzey in Reefton in 1876 after gold mining here on the Coast and a brief stint in Queeensland with some previous brewing work expereince gained in sly-grogging in Otago Edwards & Monteith purchasing the Reefton brewery as late as 1881.
John Rosanowski
Glenn Johnston You're right Glenn about the changes in ownership. I have grave doubts, though, about the "1868" date. It strikes me as the result of a non-historian's puffery - in less scrupulous days - making sure the date was as far back as possible, in the usual PR way of things. Not certain that Monteith worked in Hokitika for Pizzey, but he did indeed work for Pizzey's Phoenix brewery in Reefton. (Mgr from 1878.) Indeed it was he and his partner, Charles Edwards, who bought the Reefton Pizzey brewery at auction for 500 pounds - in 1881. Ultimately it seems more accurate to date the Monteiths brand from this date, when it was first produced and marketed under that label. (Actually it was styled as Edwards and Monteiths !!)
Glenn Johnston
John Rosanowski The 1868 date was a marketers compromise. Remember they initially tried to launch the rebrand with an 1858 date which was ridiculous as far as historic fact went. Myself and no doubt others pointed out that 1858 was patently wrong and DB then quietly changed it to 1868. Somewhere I've read that Stuart Monteith indeed brewed for Pizzey in Hokitika prior to working for Pizzey in Reefton and I don't doubt that! This may have popped up in Papers Past or be among papers that Bill Heinz gave me.
John Rosanowski
Just as a sidebar: It's interesting that Stewart Monteith made his money to buy the Reefton brewery in Australia !! He along with several other locals in the mid 1870s took part in the Nth Qld gold rush to the Palmer River and Monteith did very well be…
John Rosanowski
Even more: Bear with me. I've always wondered why Stewart Monteith does not appear in the 1906 NZ Cyclopedia. It was the repository of thousands of biogs supplied by the subscribers who'd "made good" in NZ. And he was certainly one of them. But perhaps… See more
Glenn Johnston
Another aside re the Phoenix Brewery name. The first Phoenix Brewery on the Coast was Pizzey & Arkell's Phoenix Brewery in Weld Street in Hokitika founded 1865. (Pizzey bought Arkell out in 1867) Pizzey also established a Phoenix Brewery in Reefton in… See more
Dave Kelly
1966 Drank a few Westland Golden Draught
Cheryl Townsend
Another great post thank you lots of history
Arthur Bass
When Dad brought the brewery at Reefton we found quite a few bottles stashed.
Not quite. Monteiths amalgamated with other breweries in 1927 to form Westland Breweries. DB then bought out Westland Breweries in 1969. So Monteith's was not "family owned" until bought by DB but part of a company that also had non family ownership from 1927 to 1969. The 1868 date is also a compromise date; Reefton did not exist until later but some founder companies of Westland Breweries bought by DB date back to 1865 and Stewart Monteith was an employee of Pizzey in Hokitika prior to 1868.
Dave Lyes
Glenn Johnston banks were also very good at buying tiny older banks and absorbing their age into their own conglomerate to give the effect of a long and lustrous service.
Alan Messenger
I no longer drink Monteiths.
Allan Archer
Well said Glenn Johnston Stewart Monteith was an employee of Pizzey in Reefton in 1876 after gold mining here on the Coast and a brief stint in Queeensland with some previous brewing work expereince gained in sly-grogging in Otago Edwards & Monteith purchasing the Reefton brewery as late as 1881.
John Rosanowski
Glenn Johnston You're right Glenn about the changes in ownership. I have grave doubts, though, about the "1868" date. It strikes me as the result of a non-historian's puffery - in less scrupulous days - making sure the date was as far back as possible, in the usual PR way of things. Not certain that Monteith worked in Hokitika for Pizzey, but he did indeed work for Pizzey's Phoenix brewery in Reefton. (Mgr from 1878.) Indeed it was he and his partner, Charles Edwards, who bought the Reefton Pizzey brewery at auction for 500 pounds - in 1881. Ultimately it seems more accurate to date the Monteiths brand from this date, when it was first produced and marketed under that label. (Actually it was styled as Edwards and Monteiths !!)
Glenn Johnston
John Rosanowski The 1868 date was a marketers compromise. Remember they initially tried to launch the rebrand with an 1858 date which was ridiculous as far as historic fact went. Myself and no doubt others pointed out that 1858 was patently wrong and DB then quietly changed it to 1868. Somewhere I've read that Stuart Monteith indeed brewed for Pizzey in Hokitika prior to working for Pizzey in Reefton and I don't doubt that! This may have popped up in Papers Past or be among papers that Bill Heinz gave me.
John Rosanowski
Just as a sidebar: It's interesting that Stewart Monteith made his money to buy the Reefton brewery in Australia !! He along with several other locals in the mid 1870s took part in the Nth Qld gold rush to the Palmer River and Monteith did very well be…
John Rosanowski
Even more: Bear with me. I've always wondered why Stewart Monteith does not appear in the 1906 NZ Cyclopedia. It was the repository of thousands of biogs supplied by the subscribers who'd "made good" in NZ. And he was certainly one of them. But perhaps… See more
Glenn Johnston
Another aside re the Phoenix Brewery name. The first Phoenix Brewery on the Coast was Pizzey & Arkell's Phoenix Brewery in Weld Street in Hokitika founded 1865. (Pizzey bought Arkell out in 1867) Pizzey also established a Phoenix Brewery in Reefton in… See more
Dave Kelly
1966 Drank a few Westland Golden Draught
Cheryl Townsend
Another great post thank you lots of history
Arthur Bass
When Dad brought the brewery at Reefton we found quite a few bottles stashed.
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West Coast New Zealand History (29th Sep 2022). ALBUM - Monteith's 140 year Pale Ale beer launch,1868-2008.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 3rd Apr 2026 12:18, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/31480