New Zealand came under the jurisdiction of the British Crown in 1840.
Hotels selling alcohol had to get liquor licences.
The first licence was issued to JOHN JOHNSON (1805-1866) of the Duke of Marlborough Hotel in Kororareka (Russell) in the Bay of Islands on 30 October 1840. In July 1864 he was granted a license to stay open until 12 midnight

Daily Southern Cross, 14 November 1856
... JOHN JOHNSON, of Russell, innkeeper, says - he acted, together with Marshall, as agent for Hugh McLiver. He remembered Hugh McLiver saying, ... in 1854, when telling of some provision being made for his mother, that there was always a home for her at his own house ... more from the Supreme Court case of McLiver v Macky

Daily Southern Cross, 12 February 1866
... In our obituary of to-day is recorded the death of JOHN JOHNSON, (aged 60) one of the oldest colonists of New Zealand.
Mr Johnson, who was a shipwright by trade, came to Hokianga in 1831 as carpenter of the brig 'Sisters', a flax trader from Sydney, which he left and settled on shore. Some time after he established a hotel at the Bay of Islands, called the 'Duke of Marlborough' and had the hotel up to the time of the sacking of Kororareka
(10 March 1845), from which he retired three years ago.
... A few days since Mr Johnson came up to Auckland in order to place one of his sons, who was suffering from some ailment, under the care of a medical man in the city; and on Thursday last, when standing in Dr Merrett's shop, he was struck with paralysis. He was immediately conveyed to the house of Mr Lundon, Kyber Pass Road, where he died yesterday afternoon.
* At the residence of Mr David Lundon, Kyber Pass-road, John Johnson, Esq, Kororareka, Bay of Islands, aged 60 years
... Mr Johnson has lately been engaged in agricultural pursuits and leaves a widow with one son and two daughters

HELP PLEASE
I would like to know the name of John's wife...
On each of the 3 births of their children (on BDM) she is recorded as: Na Monie Johnson, Iramonie Johnson & Mamonie Johnson?? I would hazard a guess that it may have been Naomi, your help would be appreciated
their known children were:
he LEFT 3 children in 1866 but there may have been others
* 1851 - Susanna Johnson
* 1855 - 1879 James Hawkins Johnson
New Zealand Herald, 12 November 1879
...JOHNSON - At Nuhaka, Gisborne, on October 14, James Hawkins Johnson, only son of the late John Johnson of Russell, Bay of Islands, died aged 24 years
...(Nuhaka is 70km south of Gisborne, 36km east of Wairoa)
* 1857 - Mary Ann Johnson


PHOTO
the DUKE of MARLBOROUGH HOTEL c1908
It would, no doubt, have looked at lot different when John built it