Percival Street in the suburb of Sydenham, Christchurch

Percival Street in Sydenham – Named after Westby Brook Perceval (1854- 1928). Perceval was a lawyer, politician and agent general. He was member of parliament for Christchurch South from 1887. Percival Street is first mentioned in the Star in 1908 when land for sale there is advertised. First appears in street directories in 1910.

A small amount of information from the library website. Not a lot of information on Papers Past. There was another street with the same name in Rangiora also named after Westby Brook Perceval. Mostly death notices plus a builder who lived on the street went bankrupt in 1923.In 1925 there was a notice about duplicate street names and wanting suggestions for street names. There was a Percival St in Woolston and a Perceval St in Papanui .Westby Brook Perceval obituary in June 1928 says that he was born in Launceston in Tasmania in 1854. Educated at Christ’s College and Stoneyhurst College. Was a barrister in Christchurch and then Agent General for New Zealand. He was knighted in 1894.I walked this street on the first day of level 2. The street runs from Tennyson St and curves around to Longfellow St. The houses here range from being built in 1910 to 1990. There is an entrance to the Baptist Church and Archer Rest Home from this street. There is also a housing complex called Lancewood Courts Housing Complex and it was built and opened in 2000. It is described as being for single people with mental unwellness. Some of the older houses are lovely but the newer ones are typical of 1960s and 1970s style. Years ago before I went travelling overseas for 5 years I used to go to a craft group that was held in the church hall.