Lonsdale St in New Brighton – Probably named after the peerage of Lonsdale. Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl (1857-1944) was the holder of the title at the time the street was named. Formed in 1892. The Star, 8 March 1892, p 3 says “George King & Co. Ltd….has also sold a large number of sections in Lonsdale Street, New Brighton, at prices ranging from £25 to £45. Since a start has been made at the formation of Lonsdale Street quite a rush is going on for these sections…” On 14 May 1892 it is advertised as a “coming street, adjoining the Plantation as it does…” First appears in street directories in 1911 running from Rawson Street to Keppel Street only.
A reasonable of information from the library website. Huge number of entries on Papers Past because of a street with the same name in Melbourne so added New Brighton to the wording. Still a large number of entries. Sections were for sale in 1892 and 1900. Many birth and death notices and found a couple that I research a bit further as they possibly are connected to my family tree. In 1904 an artesian well was sunk for flushing purposes. In 1911 the foundation stone for the new Roman Catholic Church was laid by Bishop Grimes. In 1934 there was a new catholic schoolroom. A small maternity home called Nurse Black’s was mentioned in birth notices from about 1918.
I sidetracked slightly when looking at Papers Past as in 1920 a man shot his wife in what was known as The New Brighton Affair. The woman survived. In 1947 a man was found dead in his home as a result of a fight in Lyttelton.
There wasn’t anything in Papers Past to say how the street got it’s name. I did find a Herbert Lonsdale but he didn’t live or work in New Brighton.
I walked this street a few weeks ago and there is New Brighton Catholic School and St Mary’s Catholic Church. The original church was demolished after the earthquakes and a new one built. Most houses on this street were built in 1970s and 1990s but there was also a large number of houses built between 1890 and 1920. The one built in 1890 is a cute wee cottage. The building that interested me the most was called The Pier Lodge Bed and Breakfast and it used to be called The Pier Lodge and Museum. I couldn’t find the history of the building but it looks like it was a church building at some stage. When walking the street there is a wee kink in it so that it looks like two separate streets
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 