Austin Kirk Lane in Huntsbury – Named after Austin, Kirk and Co., owners of the Farnley Brick and Tile Works. John Austen (1824- 1903), William Austen (1835-1910), Thomas Austen (1844-1918) and Henry Bland Kirk (1842-1927) owned the first of the local brickworks to produce domestic wares. They operated from a site in Port Hills Road (later re-named Centaurus Road) 1875-1888. First appears in street directories in 1987.
A small amount of information from the library website and there are mistakes in it. I don’t know why they spelt the brothers surname as Austen as it was Austin. It was John Austin who died in 1910.
The history of the business got very complicated and involves at least one bankrupt person, a possible falling out amongst brothers and a failed bank. The business was named Farnley after Farnley Iron Company near Leeds in the UK where Henry Bland Kirk had worked. The Christchurch company was mostly producing clay drainage pipes then the government offered a bonus for producing pottery household goods. In 1881 the company started producing crockery and other items. In 1888 when the Colonial Bank failed the partnership between Henry B Kirk and the Austin brothers was dissolved. In 1890 the Farnley Brick and Tile Works was reopened by Mr H B Kirk under his sole ownership.
In 1906 there were complaints about the smoke from the brickworks because of the consumption sanatorium being so close. The company had at least two more owners before they stopped using this site. This street is where the business used to be situated and the property website say that there are 6 houses here. I was so sure when I walked it yesterday that there were more houses than that. Real estate ads promote it as being close to schools but one ad was promoting an over 60s unit.
It was a steep wee street that runs off Centaurus Rd.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 