Dundas Street – Taken over by the city council as a public street in 1886. First appears in street directories in 1896 with one resident listed, Mrs Emily Pavey. Not officially recognised as a public street by the Christchurch City Council until 1960.
A small amount of information from the library website and I have a question re it being recognised as a public street. If the council took it over as a public street in 1886 why would the council not actually recognise it as a public street until 1960.
I couldn’t find out why it was given the name Dundas St. On Papers Past I found information from a special meeting that the council had in October 1886 stating that the street would be a public street on and after 20th October. Also found details in August 1886 from a council meeting where it was stated that work was done on the street and the street to be taken over by the council t the request of the owner of the street.
In 1885 the land was put up to be sold by public auction at the request of the land owner Charles Kiver. The land was known as Kiver’s Paddocks. There were also sections sold in 1886 and 1899.
I am not sure how many houses were here as very early on there were many businesses here including Suckling Bros and Hutchinson Scales. In the 1930 there must have been an ice skating rink as there was a hockey skating team called Olympia based here.
There were several men with the name Charles Kiver but the most likely Charles Kiver died in November 1897 aged 55. Sounds like he had heart problems for many years which is possibly why he sold off his land. He had land in other parts of Canterbury which he sold off in the 1880s. The reason I discounted the other men with the same name was that they died well before 1885 when the land went up for sale. Charles was born in Bath in the UK but couldn’t find out where his wife Jeannette was born. Very little information on the ancestry website. It is possible that his wife was born in Scotland. I have just realised that it is highly likely that the nearby Bath St is named after Charles Kiver’s birthplace.
This street has Smiths City car park on one side and Pak n’ Save and a lawyer’s office on the other side.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 