Hawdon Street -Named after the Honourable Joseph Hawdon (1813-1871) and his son, Arthur Joseph Hawdon (1844-1920). Hawdon was an explorer in Australia and a runholder in Australia and New Zealand. He lived in New Zealand from 1863 and was appointed a member of the Legislative Council by the Stafford ministry of 1866. He died in Christchurch. Arthur Hawdon, his eldest son, was the first elected councillor for Selwyn County. Hawdon’s Railway Paddock, 20 acres of land belonging to Arthur Hawdon, “adjoining the Christchurch Railway Station”, is advertised for sale in the Star in 1875. That this land was part of Joseph Hawdon’s estate is mentioned in the Star in a report of a meeting of the Sydenham Borough Council held in 1878. The street appears on an 1879 map.
A reasonable amount of information from the library website. Nothing that I can really add to this but note I haven’t looked up Joseph Hawdon yet as I was too tired last night. Yet another street in Sydenham that used to be residential but is now all businesses. The usual businesses connected to cars along with other businesses. A mixture of new and old buildings. I like it when a business has interesting street art style of artwork on their building. This street also had a cafe that looked OKish. What I mean by this is that it looks better than what is often aimed at local workmen. No individual business stood out for me but note I do like interesting shaped buildings, artwork or old historic looking buildings.
I found a huge amount of information about Joseph Hawdon and his family on Papers Past. Joseph was born in Walkerfield, County Durham and came to NZ via Australia. His children were born in Melbourne and it is said that Joseph pioneered the overland stock route from Sydney to Melbourne. It is said that the reason he moved to Canterbury was because of drought in Australia. He was one of the first Australian Colonists to move to NZ. Joseph died 12/04/1871 of dropsy caused by excessive debility and he is buried at St Peter’s at Upper Riccarton. At some stage his widow Mary must have moved back to England as she died in London in 1905 and in 1895 when her daughter got married she was living at Albert Hall Mansions, Hyde Park.
Joseph’s son Arthur took over Joseph’s property in NZ but he eventually moved to Peel Forest area where he died in 1920. Another one of Joseph’s sons Cyril died in Hove, UK in 1917.
Joseph had a grandson Captain Kynard Hawdon who died of cholera in Sprangagar, Kashmir. His obit mentions that he was the hero of Quetta Journey of April 1905.
In 1880 I found an article about a stained glass memorial window for Joseph Hawdon being installed at the Cathedral. An article dated 05/02/1934 gives good information about the Cathedral.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 