Tuam Street in the Central City, Christchurch

Tuam Street in the Central City- Tuam Street was formerly known as Old Drain Road. Named after the Irish (Anglican) bishopric of Tuam One of the original streets of Christchurch named in 1850 by Captain Joseph Thomas (b. 1803?) and Edward Jollie (1825-1894). The names were taken from bishoprics listed in Burke’s Peerage. First mentioned in The Lyttelton Times in 1852 when 1/4 acre sections are advertised for sale there. A small amount of information from the library website. I suspect Old Drain Rd only refers to the part of the street that runs from Fitzgerald Ave towards Linwood as the maps from 1850 and 1862 clearly shows Tuam St on them. I decided to walk the central city streets that go as far as Linwood separately as the character of the streets is very different beyond Fitzgerald Ave. So many entries on Papers Past. In 1874 there was discussion about metalling the street. I was amused to read that Councillor Louisson at a council meeting called attention to the state of the road except near Councillor England’s premises. In 1885 the laying of concrete kerbing is commenced. In 1881 the tramway is completed. Many complaints about state of the road between the years of 1872 to 1886. In 1887 a second stratum well was sunk. Found mention of three hotels, the White Swan, Royal Hotel and the White Horse. There were many businesses on this street, Clifford & Co engines and boilers, Ayers & Co a leather merchant, Dallas & Co furniture, Hepburn & sons iron founders and both H Matson & Co and Twentyman & Cousins were mostly farming implements. A few businesses had fires. In 1881 bakehouse and stables belonging to Mr Williams burnt down. In 1897 J Bigwood a plumber had a fire at his shop and dwelling. In 1886 the factory for confectionery by W G Clydesdale burnt to the ground. Many complaints about the alarm system. In 1885 W Harrison a stonemason attempted to burn down his property. W J White in 1883 was a grocer and in 1885 he was fined for selling beer without a license and by 1886 the bailiffs seized his stock. In 1880 there was a petition from residents complaining about the blacksmith forge of Mr J Martin and that it was dangerous. In 1874 Mr B Midgley complained about his rates. In 1886 Johnson Midgley was killed by his neighbour Mr Taylor. It was a dispute over a fence and Mr Taylor was charged with manslaughter. Both Benjamin and Johnson Midgley lived at the same address but I couldn’t find out what the relationship was between the two of them even with looking at the ancestry website. I walked from Riccarton Ave to Fitzgerald Ave and there is a huge number of car dealers on this street. The bus exchange has an entrance here and there is a campus for Aspire 2 International School. Lots of empty spaces and damaged buildings. Alice Cinema is here and it is a great little cinema. Too many businesses here for me to name. There is an entrance to the Justice Precinct here and a man skateboarding nearby told me that there is a nice garden within the Precinct. I will take his word for it and I didn’t ask him how he knows so much about the building.