Gloucester Street in the Central City, Christchurch

Gloucester Street – Named after Gloucester, an English bishopric. One of the original streets of Christchurch named in 1850 by surveyors 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 reasonable amount of information from the library website and nothing that I can add about the name of the street. Papers Past had a huge amount of entries so I mostly concentrated on the years before 1870.Some of the businesses on the street were F & E Pavitts Timber Yard, Mr Neeves Depot and Gas Company. A few shops such as Smith , Raikes & Co, W H Hargreaves and Nesbit’s Shop. John Coe had a shop and house called Albion House. A few hotels mentioned such as Central Hotel and Shakespeare Hotel. In 1865 there was a public notice about Lyttelton Times and that telegraphic information about shipping arrivals will be posted in front of the publishing of the Wards & Reeves. In 1859 Mr C E Cooper became an agency office for the Lyttelton Times. In 1865 the new Jewish Synagogue was opened and there is a mural on a wall where it used to be. It was near Cambridge Tce. At least one letter to the editor in 1869 complaining about the filthy state of the street especially near the theatre. In 1868 there were several complaints about the drains being either too small to cope with the water or choked with weeds. Also in 1868 Mr Coker wanted compensation for the damage done to his premises by floods and he threatened legal proceedings. It was declined on the basis that the grounds were below the level of the road. In the 1860s there were lots of mention of disordering behaviour including prostitutes. In 1863 the music hall was mentioned and by 1864 it was called Royal Princess Theatre. The current Theatre Royal built in 1908 is the third building for the theatre and on the opposite side of the road from the previous two theatres. In 1863 there was a long article about the money spent on the Gloucester St bridge and in 1864 there was an article about James Wylde who was the designer of the Gloucester St bridge. I walked this street from Fitzgerald Ave to Rolleston Ave. At the Fitzgerald Ave end there were a couple older derelict houses. There were lots of modern apartments this end as well and some looked like possible social housing. Loved the Gloucester – Worcester Park and they had bug houses here. Opposite the park was Christchurch East School. Then walked past Latimer Square and on the opposite there is still empty sections. As you get closer to the centre of the city there are newer buildings including Turanga which is obviously one of my favourite buildings. I am a huge reader. I then had to detour as the street is blocked by the new convention centre that is being built. Not everyone approves of this building. At the other side of the convention building it is the river with the historic bridge. Then on the other side of the river is the modern Deloitte building and I am not sure if I like it or not Found out recently that the design of the building represents the Avon River’s winding course. Then the Jewish Synagogue mural, CoCa art gallery and then an entry to the Christchurch Art Gallery car park. On the opposite side of the road is the WEA which is a building I am familiar with as I go to History classes there. There are modern apartments with names like Regent Court and St James Court. Cross Montreal Street and there are many lovely older houses and many of the buildings belong to Christ College. The old Girls High caretaker’s house is in very poor condition and the land now belongs to Christ College.