Gracefield Avenue in the Central City, Christchurch

Gracefield Ave – Formerly Hyndman’s Lane. Named after Peter Hyndman (1843- 1914). Re-named Gracefield Street which was combined with Grace Avenue, named after owner Francis James Grace, to become Gracefield Avenue. Hyndman, a builder, lived at 857 Colombo Street. His property backed on to where the lane was formed. Hyndman’s Lane first appears in 1894 street directories running off 108 Salisbury Street. By 1909 it leads to Grace Avenue although Grace Avenue is not listed as a street address. Land in Grace Avenue is advertised for sale in the Star in 1907. By 1912 Hyndman’s Lane has been re-named Gracefield Street. Grace Avenue ran off Durham Street and Gracefield Street off Salisbury Street. The two were combined to become Gracefield Avenue in 1930.A reasonable amount of information from the library website and there are a couple of mistakes in this information. I mostly just searched Papers Past. There were many ads in 1907 for selling sections in the Gracefield Estate with the added note from the developer that the street to be renamed Grace Ave subject to council consent. The council declined to rename the street Grace Ave and that the name of Gracefield St that the council had already decided on would be the name of the street. This means the street was never called Grace Ave. In 1908 the sewer was laid for the street. In 1913 Gracefield Street was described as a new thoroughfare formed through a property that was recently cut up and houses built on it. Gracefield Street was a full width street until it met Hyndman’s Lane which remains it’s originally width. In 1912 and 1913 there were lots of complaints about the state of Gracefield Street but the council replied that problems were with Hyndman’s Lane which was a private lane on private property. In 1917 there was a fire in a builder’s workshop occupied by Mr J A Scarff and belonged to the late Peter Hineman. I am assuming that the newspaper spelt Hyndman incorrectly. Peter Hyndman lived at 857 Colombo St and he died in 1914. His land was on the corner of Colombo St and Salisbury St. The Canterbury Bowling Club was frequently mentioned. In 1935 a block of flats to be built and they were described as being built to a design not used in New Zealand before. To be built in an H shape so that all flats would get the sun. In 1921 a resident H Holland on behalf of the street’s residents requested that the council take over the street. This was agreed to as long as the owners paid for the forming and metalling. In 1930 the name of the street was changed from Gracefield Street to Gracefield Avenue and the residents of the street heartily approved. None of the historic maps show Hyndman’s Lane and show Gracefield Ave taking up the full street as early as 1912.The name H Holland appeared frequently and he was the MP for Christchurch North until he retired in 1935 on medical advice. Just to be confusing there were two politicians called Henry Holland but the other Henry Holland was Australian born but was also involved in New Zealand’s politics. The Christchurch’s Henry Holland son Sidney Holland was also a politician. There are still a few older houses here and one that was built in 1920 is gorgeous. The rest of modern houses built in 1990 or 2020 and some are really ugly but when I saw who the developer is I was not surprised they are ugly. The bowling club is still there but had such a high fence I couldn’t see it and the address for it is now Salisbury St. I actually walked this in May this year and forgot to load it here. Taking advantage of lockdown to tidy up my street project.