Author Archives: lytteltonwitch

I looked at Papers Past for information about the Burnham Industrial School and entries were from Court news where children were sent to the school. There was supposed to be an article about the opening of the school in October 1874 but I couldn’t find the article on Papers Past. The earliest entry that I …

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Cave Terrace in Redcliffs – Named after the caves still seen in the cliff face. The first homes in Redcliffs were built at the beginning of the 20th century. First mentioned in The Press in 1906. First appears in street directories with residents listed in 1936. Before this it is listed with a see ref. …

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Kirirua Avenue in Halswell – Kirirua is a te reo Māori name for the longfin eel. Kirirua, longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii), are a species of freshwater eel endemic to New Zealand. They are uniform in colour from dark brown to grey-brown dorsally, and silvery ventrally. Additional information: Date Named: 30 November 2021 Subdivision: Sabys Estate: …

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Matamoe Drive in Halswell – Matamoe is a te reo Māori name for the shortfin eel. Matamoe, shortfin eel (Anguilla australis), are a relatively large type of eel, dark olive to olive-green in colour, and whitish-grey to silvery ventrally. They are widespread in lowland fresh waterways and live under cover of overhanging rocks and debris. …

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Paradise Way in Halswell – Named after the paradise shelduck. Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegate) is a large goose-like duck endemic to New Zealand. Commonly referred to as the “paradise duck”, it is a prized game bird, both the male and female have striking plumage. Additional information: Date Named: 30 November 2021 Subdivision: Sabys Estate: 84 …

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Tuna Street in Halswell – Tuna is a te reo Māori name for eels. Tuna refers to both shortfin and longfin eel species. These eels are native to New Zealand and are widespread throughout New Zealand freshwater ways. Additional information: Date Named: 30 November 2021 Subdivision: Sabys Estate: 84 Sabys Road. The road names are …

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Silvereye Street in Halswell – Named after a bird, the silvereye. Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), also known as wax-eye, is a very small omnivorous passerine bird of the south-west Pacific. The silvereye was first recorded in 1832 in New Zealand and as an apparently self-introduced bird, it is protected as a native species. The Māori name, …

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Beresford Street in New Brighton – Formerly Wilson Street. Named after William Barbour Wilson (1819-1897). Also formerly High Street. Wilson Street and High Street were amalgamated and re-named Beresford Street. Named after Charles William Beresford (1846-1919). Wilson, the first Mayor of Christchurch in 1868, owned land at New Brighton. He was the first chairman of …

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Colenso Street in Sumner – Named after William Colenso (1816?-1899). Colenso was a missionary, explorer and the printer of the first book ever produced in New Zealand. Part of the Johnstoneville subdivision. A cottage is advertised for let in Colenso Street in the Star in 1884. First mentioned in the Star in 1885 in a …

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Mary Quinn Avenue in Halswell – Named after pioneer settler, Mary Quinn. Mary Quinn came from London as a young girl with her family in the 1870s. Mary was a very pioneering woman who due to the death of her parents at a young age carried on farming in the Halswell area as a single …

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