Paul Corcoran says the Royal Hotel at Waikaka is only 146, not 150.

It's not good manners to talk about a ladies' age but in this case, we might have to.

Waikaka's Royal Hotel celebrated its 150th birthday earlier this month, but a former publican's family member says the candles may have been blown out a couple of years too early.

Paul Corcoran, a cousin of former publican Wattie Corcoran, says a book called Waikaka Saga by Allister Evans claims the old hotel was built on its present site in 1872 by an A A Edge - making the old girl a sprightly 146, not 150.

Rachael Kelly Waikaka's Royal Hotel is celebrating 150 years this month.

Edge later rebuilt the present two-storeyed building in 1878.

READ MORE: Waikaka's Royal Hotel celebrates 150 years

Corcoran reckons Wattie, who is thought to still haunt the jukebox in main bar, would be "turning in his grave" at the thought of his beloved pub celebrating its big birthday early.

Rachael Kelly Gayle-Anne Traill is the publican at Waikaka's Royal Hotel. She said they'll celebrate the pub's real 150th birthday in 2022.

"He wouldn't be happy, that's for sure."

Wattie, who Corcoran says was "a bit of a character," was the hotel's publican for many years and found a loophole in the law back in the days when Gore was under prohibition.

"He had a showroom in Gore where people could place orders for alcohol that was delivered to them from the Royal Hotel by an employee, Ray Nicol, who used a light truck.

Rachael Kelly The Royal Hotel at Waikaka. Date unknown.

"This very much annoyed the Mataura Licensing Trust who did their best to have his showroom shut down, but the law was on Wattie's side and when he eventually closed the showroom, MLT purchased it and shut it down then."

Allister Evans' book says the Royal Hotel was built on its present site, and was one of two drinking holes in the the Eastern Southland town - although there were two Chinese gambling dens in the village as well.

In 1871 and 1872, Waikaka township was moved to its present site and the Star Hotel was moved from a site near the present cemetery at about the same time. It was rebuilt and became the Waikaka Store, which is now closed.

Present-day publican Gayle-Ann Traill says she'd calculated the birthday date from information left by Wattie when she bought the hotel.

"He certainly put this place on the map - he was a bit of a legend by all accounts."

She started having doubts about the date when an Invercargill woman visited the pub because she thought it was 151 years old.

"I've had a bit of a telling-off about it from a few of the locals.

"We had a good turnout for it anyway and if it's only 146, then we can have it all again in 2022."