Author Archives: lytteltonwitch

Dublin Street – formerly Carlton Street Named after Dublin, capital, county borough, and seaport of the Republic of Ireland. Carlton Street is first mentioned in the Star in 1879 in a report of a meeting of the Municipal Committee. First appears in street directories in 1885. Re-named Dublin Street on 7 March 1904 after amalgamation …

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Butterfield Ave in Linwood – Formerly Cemetery Road. Named because it ran from Buckleys Road to Linwood cemetery. Re-named Butterfield Avenue. May be named after Thomas Henry Butterfield (1879?- 1951). In 1884 William Attwood (1835?-1889), a farmer of Ferry Road, offered to donate land for a road from Buckleys Road to the new cemetery at …

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Leyden St in Phillipstown- Church Street Church Street first appears in street directories in 1892. Re-named Leyden Street in 1909. Another suggestion made at the time was re-naming the street Wesley Street.A small amount of information from the library website. I searched Papers Past, ancestry website and cemetery database and couldn’t find anyone with the …

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Cross St – Work painting a cottage in “Cross Street, off Duncan’s Road” is advertised in the Star in 1888. First appears in street directories in 1890.A small amount of information from the library website. The Duncan’s Road mentioned is now Nursery Rd. I couldn’t find out the reason for the name Cross. Searched Papers …

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Leeds St in Phillipstown– formerly Creek Road and Creek Street. Named after Leeds, a city in West Yorkshire, England. Creek Street, Phillipstown, is first mentioned in The Press in 1876. Re-named Leeds Street on 7 March 1904. Among a number of streets re-named in 1904 and given the names of place-names in the United Kingdom.A …

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Hillview Rd in Phillipstown – formerly Hills View Road. Hills View Road first appears in street directories in 1890.A tiny amount of information from the library website. The name of the street is fairly obvious as they would have had a good view of the Port Hills. I found more entries in Papers Past under …

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Papanui Road – Originally an accommodation road ie. a route for stock. Papanui Road is first mentioned in The Lyttelton Times in 1851 when tenders were called for its construction. First appears in street directories in 1878. At first it went to the junction of Sawyers Arms Road and then became Main North Road. It …

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Wattle Drive in New Brighton / Red Zone – Named after the Australian wattle tree. This was the favourite tree of William Nicholas Ryan (1885-1950), a contractor. Named by his wife, Mary Catherine Ryan (1892- 1978). First appears in street directories in 1960. Information supplied in 2008 by Ryan’s son, Jack Ryan, in a letter …

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Wendy Place in Heathcote. Nothing on the library website for this street yet most the houses date from 1990. The footpath is also on both sides of the street which is a good clue that the street is older as modern streets of this type tend not to have footpaths on both sides. The street …

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Laing Crescent – Named after William Baillie Laing (1899-1971). Laing was a Heathcote County Councillor for over 20 years. First appears in street directories in 1972. Information supplied in 2008 by William Laing’s daughter, Janice Weir, in an interview with Margaret Harper. A small amount of information from the library website. Information from ancestry website …

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