Clarkson Avenue in the Central City, Christchurch

Clarkson Ave – formerly Clarkson’s Avenue. Named after David Clarkson (1828-1889). Clarkson established the drapery business Dunstable House in 1854. In 1872 the business became J. Ballantyne & Co, drapers and clothiers. Clarkson’s Avenue first appears in street directories in 1885. Becomes Clarkson Avenue in 1962.A small amount of information from the library website. This tiny street runs from Cashel St to Lichfield St and there are a couple businesses here plus an empty section. It is near Fitzgerald Ave end of the Central City. Smokey T’s is on the corner of Clarkson Ave and Cashel St and they were very busy yesterday being Mother’s Day. There is one lonely house here but I couldn’t find out any information about this house. The style of the house would put it’s age between 1890 to 1920. There was very little information about this street on Papers Past and the earliest mention that I found was dated 1882 when a Mr J Carnahan was selling up his furniture and household effects. In 1926 there was talk of widening the street and in 1937 there was an application for a garage to be built on the corner of Lichfield St and Clarkson Ave. I couldn’t find more than 3 or 4 families living here. I can find no record of David Clarkson living in this area but he possibly owned the land. David Clarkson was a builder and a draper. This is a strange combination but it obviously worked as he was a successful businessman. David Clarkson lived at Dunstable House which was on the corner of Colombo St and Cashel on the site of Ballantynes.