Spencer Street formerly Spenser Street. Named after Edmund Spenser (1552?-1599). Spenser was a poet best known for his epic poem, The Faerie Queen. Named to continue the theme of “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham. Intended to be named Spenser Street but is named Spencer Street when it first appears in street directories in 1892.
A reasonable amount of information from the library website.
I often walk this street and I have a cache hidden here. There is a school on this street which is connected to the church. I love the bell tower. There are some lovely old houses on the street which would almost be heritage houses. There are a few worker cottages from the railway days. One end of the street has an old house that looks a bit rundown but has an interesting garden. I like all the teapots in the garden and I thought that I had a photo but couldn’t find it.
With further research on Papers Past I found an article from 1889 where it says that the Western boundary of the site of the Immigration Barracks to be named Spenser Street. In 1903 and 1904 there were many real estate ads selling modern villas on this street. The last time that the spelling of Spenser for this street appears is in 1920.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 