Kaplan Ave in Islington – Named after a propellor-type water turbine widely used throughout the world in highflow, low-head power production. Formed near the Islington substation. First appears in street directories in 1962. Information supplied by Bob Pritchard, subdivisions officer, Christchurch City Council.
A small amount of information from the library website and nothing that I can add about the name. I wasn’t actually planning on walking the streets in Islington but I was geocaching nearby. I also didn’t find the geocache.
There were only 8 entries on Papers Past for this street and two were ads for selling of sections. A couple of death notices and an engagement notice. Only 11 houses on this street and most were built in the 1950s and are typical style for that era. There are a couple of more modern houses but they were on back sections so couldn’t tell what they looked like. The houses were only on one side of the street and Transpower were on the other side of the street. Corner of Kaplan Ave and Gilberthorpes Rd was Gilberthorpes Reserve. Personally find it strange that such a small street is called an avenue. There was a wee walkway at the end of the street that led to another street.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 