Plunket Street in the suburb of Spreydon, Christchurch

Plunket Street in Spreydon – Formerly Schauman Street. May be named after Karl Osten Schauman (1874?-1935). Re-named Plunket Street. Named after Sir William Lee Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket (1864-1920). Schauman was born in Finland and emigrated to New Zealand. He was described as a gentleman of Sumner in 1906 and was involved with the Canterbury Investment Company. He was naturalised in 1905 but this was revoked in 1917. He later moved to California and died in England. Schauman Street is described as a “new street” in a report in The Press of a meeting of the Woolston Borough Council in 1905. Appears in 1907 street directories only.Re-named Plunket Street in 1908. Lord Plunket was the Governor of New Zealand 1904-1910.A huge amount of information the library website but I am not sure that it is correct.

The first entries on Papers Past were in 1911 when there were several ads for the sale of a house and stables. In 1913 there were several sections for sale. I couldn’t find anything about the naming of this street. I could find no evidence of any street called Schauman St. Karl Schauman lived in Sumner with his second wife Lucy. He was naturalised on 30th May 1905 but couldn’t find any document to say it had been revoked but as he was no longer living in New Zealand by 1917 it is possible that it automatically revoked. It doesn’t sound like he was living in New Zealand for very long as he married his second wife in 1901 in England. This was the same year his first wife died. He appears in English census records for 1901. The new street mentioned in the library website was actually near Opawa Railway Station and all his land dealings seem to be in the Opawa area. In 1904 he was using Risingholme as an address in ads for the selling of land from estates originally belonging to Judge Williams and Mr Rhodes. I couldn’t find any other information linking Karl Schauman to Risingholme apart from these ads. I couldn’t find any evidence of Karl being in New Zealand after 1907. He married his third wife in England in 1933 and he died in England in 1935. Interesting history but I personally feel that he had no link to Plunket St.Karl’s history was far more interesting than Lord Plunket even if he has nothing to do with the street.This street runs from Neville St to Edinburgh St and the houses date from 1905 to 2016. A pleasant looking street with some nice houses.