Author Archives: lytteltonwitch

Alport Place in Woolston – formerly part of Dyers Road. Named after Augustus James Alport (1816-1886). Alport was Lyttelton’s auctioneer and a shareholder in the Christchurch Conveyance Company. He became a director of the short-lived Canterbury Steam Navigation Company in 1858. He was also a Canterbury Provincial councillor up until 1861. Formed because of the …

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Steam Wharf Lane in Woolston and there was nothing on the library website. I was surprised that there was nothing on the library website as most houses date from 1990s plus one from 1945. I suspect that the house from 1945 would have been part of a property that had either a Ferry Rd or …

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Peel St in Strowan – Named after Peel, the third largest town on the Isle of Man. Formed when the western portion of the Strowan Park Estate was subdivided in 1911. The developer may have had some connection with the Isle of Man as other streets in the vicinity are named after towns on the …

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Searells Ave – Named after Thomas Searell (1811-1891). Searell, a miller, bought the Carlton Mill in 1865 and eight acres of land north of Normans Road in 1871 which he later subdivided and sold. In 1884 he and his family were living at Kilmore Street East. First appears in street directories in 1890.A small amount …

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Urunga Ave in Strowan- Formerly Hancocks Road. Named after Thomas Hancock (1813?-1898). Re-named Urunga Road. Named after Urunga, the house at 51 Normans Road owned by Samuel Rollin Webb (1848- 1933). Urunga means: a place of Peace. Hancocks Road first appears in street directories in 1903. Hancock was a grocer, soap manufacturer and brewer. He …

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Watford St in Strowan – Formerly Nursery Road. Named because it was developed on the site of nurseries. Re-named Watford Street. Named because both parents of a prominent resident there had been born at Watford, just outside London. [These people have not been identified.]One nursery was run by John Joyce (1850?- 1928). He died at …

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Walnut Ave in Strowan – Formerly St Andrew’s Terrace. Named because of its proximity to St Andrews College. Re-named Walnut Avenue. Named after the walnut tree once on the corner of the street. St Andrews Terrace is first mentioned in The Press in 1924 where it is referred to as a street “known as St …

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Lansbury Ave in Strowan – Named after George Lansbury (1859- 1940). Lansbury was a British Labour politician, socialist, Christian pacifist and newspaper editor. He was leader of the British Labour Party 1931-1935. A Papanui war memorial street. First mentioned in The Press in 1941. First appears in street directories in 1943.A small amount of information …

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Alpha Ave in Strowan – Formerly St Andrews Avenue. Named because of its proximity to St Andrew’s College. Re-named Alpha Avenue. St Andrews Avenue is first mentioned in The Press in 1923, where it is described as a “new avenue”. First appears in street directories in 1925. Re-named Alpha Avenue on 24 September 1926, probably …

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Westpark Drive in Burnside – Named because it is in a western part of the city and the developers, Lake Bryndwr Developments Ltd., wanted a “parklike” theme for the subdivision. A small amount of information from the library website. Most houses here were built in 2000s with a few built later than that. This street …

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