Diamond Ave – Named in 1928. The section which is at right-angles to Coronation Street was formed in March 1928. By July 1928 it linked up with Simeon Street. By October 1929 it linked up with Barrington Street. NB This section is now part of Coronation Street. First appears in street directories in 1930.
A small amount of information from the library website. Still don’t know why the developer wanted the name Diamond for the street but this turned into an interesting piece of research on Papers Past. In November 1928 the name Diamond Avenue was approved and it was a suggestion from F A Neale. Several sections for sale in 1929 and in September 1930 permits were issued to F A Neale for building houses on this street. Then on 16th May 1931 there is a huge article about Frederick Ashley Neale regarding him being bankrupt. It was an interesting read and he had land deals all over the place. There was a comment about his interest in race horses and it was hinted that he was a gambler. In November 1931 he was jailed for failure to keep proper books. He is buried at Sydenham cemetery in 1953 and described as a salesman. Checked ancestry website and it got slightly confusing but eventually worked out that after his first wife died in 1933 he married his first cousin on his mothers side.
A pleasant street with many of the original wooden villas from 1930s with a couple of places from 1960s. The original houses would have been on large sections and in the 1990s many were subdivided to build houses at the back of the original houses. There was one house dated from 1920 which is from before the street was developed. Some of the original houses had been enlarged and had a second story added. Most houses in really good condition with nice gardens.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 