John Mayo was publican of the Hunter River Hotel which was situated in Day Street, East Maitland. John Mayo arrived as a convict on the Baring  in 1819 and married Elizabeth Benson in 1826 at Christ Church, Newcastle.

Elizabeth arrived on the Brothers convict ship in 1824. She ran their business, a store in East Maitland, in her husband's frequent absences and they were able to purchase land and open a public house they called the 'Maitland Wine Vaults' in 1838. The Hunter River Hotel was either in these premises or near by.

Elizabeth died in 1853 aged 47 and John died in 1860 aged 64.