Gilders Grove in Heathcote – Named after Digby Te’Ohia Leslie Gilders (1896-1980). Gilders was a private surveyor practising in Christchurch 1930s-1970s. He surveyed the subdivision which created the allotment subdivided to create the street. A subdivision at 19 Avoca Valley Road by W. J. Mauger. Named in 1999.
A small amount of information from the library website.
The following information is from the council website – HEA/98/143 W J Mauger 19 Avoca Valley Road Heathcote Ward This subdivision creates eleven new allotments served by a new cul de sac, running north east off Avoca valley Road. The applicant has submitted the following names for approval for the cul de sac: Maddethan Place the name is related to family names of the applicant Peppertree Close from a protected tree on the site Cron Way also related to a family name Maddethan may be remotely confused with Maddisons Road, however this is unlikely, particularly with Maddisons Road being near Templeton, and being in a different Postal Zone. There is a new cul de sac called Pepperwood Place in Burwood, which may be confused with Peppertree, and there are currently sixty-five existing streets in the City ending with ‘wood’ and a further sixteen beginning with ‘wood’. ‘Cron’ does not conflict with any existing names, and being a short name is suitable for this short cul de sac. Recommendation: That the name CRON WAY be approved for use for the above new cul de sac. HEA/98/143 W J Mauger 19 Avoca Valley Road This subdivision creates eleven allotments served off a new cul de sac . Three proposed names were submitted to the June Board meeting, and were declined as being unsuitable. The following names are submitted for the Board’s consideration : GILDERS GROVE Digby Gilders was a private surveyor practicing in Christchurch from the 1930’s to the early 1970’s. He was the surveyor who carried out the subdivision forty years ago which created the allotment that is presently being subdivided. CARTMAN CLOSE C F Cartman was a landowner in Avoca Valley Road fifty years ago.
The property at 19 Avoca Valley Rd was sold in 1995 so I am not sure how a surveyor who died in 1980 could have surveyed the subdivision. Part of the property was sold in the 1950s so he could have surveyed it then. There was a lovely character house on the property and I couldn’t work out if it is still there or not but suspect it was demolished.
Because the name of the street had an s on the end of it I thought that it might have been named after someone with the surname Gilder. Very disappointing that this wasn’t the case. Most entries on Papers Past relate to his work as a surveyor apart from a couple of episodes involving being drunk. Nothing much on ancestry website as he never married.
I walked the street today and nothing stood out for me. I did stand there for a while watching Westpac helicopter circling around the Heathcote Valley.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 