Allister Ave in Strowan – Developed to give public access to Elmwood Park from Leinster Road. The land for the street was donated by Charles Wood (1864?-1957), a sheep farmer of 95 Leinster Road. A petition was circulated around local residents in 1920. They wanted a handsome” street developed rather than a right-of-way. Named in 1921. [In 1922 the Elmwood School Committee described Allister Street as an unsuitable name, suggesting Elmwood Avenue instead, because the street connects Elmwood School with Elmwood Park.] First appears in street directories in 1928.
A reasonable amount of information from the library website. I searched Papers Past and ancestry website but couldn’t find a reason for the street name.
Found an article in 1921 about the formation of the street under the relief work scheme for the unemployed. In 1922 there were barriers put up and lights at the Leinster St end because of Elmwood School. Sections for sale in 1926. This street runs between Heaton Street and Leinster Road but in 1927 there were at least two letters to the editor suggesting that the street be extended to Aikmans Rd. The school was building a school pool at the time but the letter writers would have preferred a road which would have gone through the school grounds where the pool was being built.
Charles Wood was the son of William Derisley Wood of Wood’s Mill.
There were some nice houses here and it was a pleasant street. Quiet on Saturday when I walked it but I imagine during the week because of the school it would be busy. Only 10 houses on the street and the oldest was built in 1920 but the one I actually liked was built in 1990. I don’t normally like modern houses but this one was different.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 