Woodard Tce in Somerfield – formerly Cemetery Lane and Simpsons Lane. Cemetery Lane was named because of its proximity to Sydenham Cemetery. Also named Simpsons Lane. These are two informal names which do not appear in street directories. Re-named Woodard Terrace. Named after the Woodard family, “a family of very early settlers”. Named Woodard Terrace on 2 August 1939. The source says: “A letter has been received from the Somerfield Burgesses’ Association stating that some time ago the Council requested them to suggest a name for a lane that runs from Somerfield Road to the Sydenham Cemetery at present known as Cemetery Lane and Simpsons Lane, neither of which is considered suitable. The Association therefore suggests that the lane be named Woodard Terrace after a family of very early settlers”. John Woodard (1834-1909) is listed in 1890 street directories as a bootmaker of Ferry Road. First appears in street directories in 1948.
A reasonable amount of information from the library website for a street with only 14 houses. I got a bit confused when looking at Papers Past especially in connection with the Simpson’s Lane part. I had a good look at old maps and mystery solved.
The maps between 1912 and 1930 show a lane here but with no name. The same maps show Simpson’s Lane off Milton St and not anywhere near Sydenham Cemetery. Map for 1941 has it down as Cemetery Rd and Simpson’s Lane is still off Milton St. The map for 1958 has it as Woodard Tce and Simpson’s Lane is now Dominion Ave. Note the library website doesn’t mention that Dominion Ave used to be Simpson’s Lane.
On Papers Past I ignored most entries for Simpson’s Lane as they has nothing to do with this street. There were no entries under Cemetery Lane for this street. The only streets called Cemetery Lane were in Woolston and Lyttelton.
It is a bit strange that the Somerfield Association said that it was informally known as Cemetery Lane and Simpson’s Lane. I can understand Cemetery Lane but not Simpson’s Lane. Most entries in the 1930s referred to it as Cemetery Rd. In 1933 the name of Cemetery Rd was objected to by residents and members of the Association were given the task of coming up with a better name by the next meeting. In 1935 and 1936 there were sections available on the corner of Stenness Ave and Cemetery Rd. The street was still being called Cemetery Rd when the tar sealing was being done. By the 1950s the Woodard Tce name appears in articles and ads. A few death notices. In 1950 pipes were being laid and the residents would have been very pleased about this. In the 1930s there were many complaints about the open drain and the drain was described as a grave menace to the local children. I assume that the writer of grave menace used the word grave as a bit of a pun because of the nearby cemetery. In 1979 there still seem to be drainage issues and in 1980 the strip of land on this street which had been piped was to be turned into a reserve.
I often mention that streets in Christchurch are named after men who went bankrupt. This street is no exception as John Woodard was bankrupt in 1881. This was when his shop was on High St. I got a bit confused when it looked like he went bankrupt again in 1907 in Doyleston but that was his son. John Woodard move around a bit with his shop as he started out on what is now Papanui Rd and I found a photo of his shop dated 1875. He was then in High St and then on Ferry Rd. He was living on Somerfield St when he died in 1909. I found an article from 1950 written by a daughter who said that her parents had only been married 4 days in 1858 when they left on the ship Zealandia to come to New Zealand. Note the passenger list has them as a married couple with a child.
I walked this street on Sunday and I had parked on this street as this is plenty of parking because of Somerfield Park. The houses are only on one side of the street and on the other side there is the reserve and Somerfield Park. A few houses date from 1940s and a few from 2000s and what stood out for me the most was someone’s gate and fence.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 