Verran Place in Fendalton – First appears in street directories in 1955. A tiny amount of information from the library website.

After looking at Papers Past and ancestry website it is highly likely that this street was named after the Verran family. They had an orchard at 23 Jeffreys Rd called Penventon Farm. One of the brothers had a farm at 12 Waiwetu Street. John Moyle Verran died in 1933 but there were at least two sons James and Richard. I thought that the various family trees on the ancestry website had made a mistake as they had John Moyle Verran born in Australia in 1852 but living in Cornwall in 1861. The family trees were correct as the family went to Australia where they had two children before returning to England. John was described as a miner in 1861 census aged 9 years. In 1874 they returned to Australia. By 1890 the family were in Christchurch.

In 1953 there were ads for tender for building a parsonage for St John’s Methodist Church. In 1968 the church built a new parsonage on Jeffreys Rd to replace the old one on Verran Place. In 1955 there were crown land sections available with returned servicemen having preference in the ballots. I was amused by an ad for the sale of a house in 1960 where it was described as being in that exclusive area of Fendalton were every house is different and of exceptional high quality.

Most of the houses were built in 1950s and there was a footpath on both sides of the road. The houses didn’t really stand out for me but one of the houses looks very modern for a house built in 1950. A pleasant street with well established gardens. One house did look a bit rundown.

I was in the area this morning finding a cache in the nearby library

Westlake Drive in Halswell – In the Oaklands subdivision. First appears in street directories in 1991. A tiny amount of information from the library website.

This area of Halswell was built around an artificial lake in Westlake Reserve. Westlake Drive runs past the reserve and most houses were built in 1990s but the houses at Dunbars Rd end were built in 1980s. The more interesting houses are between Dunbars Rd and the reserve. Couldn’t find much information online and this wasn’t helped by a new subdivision in the north of Christchurch also called Oaklands. I walked this street about 10 days ago when I was geocaching in the area. I did like many of the houses here and it would be pleasant being able to walk in the reserve. I can remember when there were very few houses in this area.

Lakeview Place in Halswell – In the Oaklands subdivision. First appears in street directories in 1991. A tiny amount of information on the library website. Reason for the name will be because of being close to Westlake but you can’t actually see the lake from the street. The street runs from Lancewood Drive and there is an entrance to Campion Reserve Playground from this street. The houses were built in 1980s and 1990s and mostly made from brick. Footpath on only one side of the street. None of the houses stood out for me but at least they are all different designs. Looked like a pleasant street.

Hemingford Place in Halswell – First appears in street directories in 1995. A tiny amount of information on the library website.

A pleasant street that runs off Westlake Drive. The footpath was on only one side of the street. The 9 houses were built in 1990s and were all brick houses. I quite liked a couple of the houses and there were some really nice gardens. Couldn’t find a reason for the name of the street and it is either someone’s surname or a place name. There is a place in the UK called Hemingford Grey.

Eskdale Place in Halswell – First appears in street directories in 1995. A tiny amount of information on the library website.

This street runs off Westlake Drive and ends at Campion Reserve Playground. Campion Reserve Playground is at least 3 streets away from Campion Place. I suspect that this street is named after Eskdale in the Lake District in the UK. The houses here were built in 1990s and are all made from brick. None of the houses stood out for me and it was mostly immaculate lawns rather than gardens.

Campion Place in Halswell – First appears in street directories in 1993.

Tiny amount of information from the library and I couldn’t find anything online about the reason for the name. It sounds like it could be a person’s surname. As usual with modern streets of this type there was a footpath on only one side of the street. The houses were all built in the 1990s and they actually looked quite nice. This street runs off Westlake Drive.

Kairua Road in Hornby and this street is too new to be on the library website. This is a Ngai Tahu development and is an industrial subdivision. There are footpaths on both sides of the road which surprised me for a new street. Only one building here and the rest of the sections are for sale. The street curves around like a crescent and runs off Wilmer Rd. The road is named after Hapukuku Kairua who was a leading chief from Kaiapoi in 1860s.

Wilmers Road in Hornby – Wilmer’s Road is first mentioned in the Star in 1898. Teams were engaged in the formation of Wilmers Road in 1933. First appears in street directories in 1960. Streets in Hornby are not listed separately until then.

A small amount of information from the library website. I found the same information on Papers Past. The road was probably named after George Wilmer and Wilmer St in the central city is named after the same person. George lived at his property in the central city but he also owned a rural property where he had his racehorses. Sounds like he was good cricketer. He was born in Sussex in 1817 and married Mary Ann Kidd in 1848. Still in England in 1851 but didn’t find the date of when he came to NZ. In 1958 a new animal home for SPCA was opened on the road and lots of information on Papers Past about the SPCA. In 1940 a property that had been a sheep farm was for sale. In 1970 two blocks of land were for sale and they had crops of lucerne but no buildings. In 1971 a market garden was for sale.

I was geocaching in the area and was surprised to see houses here. There are 12 houses and apart from one dated in the 1960s the rest were built in the last few years. The street runs from Awatea Rd to Springs Rd and Warren Park is on one side of the road. The houses are at Awatea Rd end of the road and then there is a big section being developed for industrial businesses. The Wigram Fire Station is near Springs Rd. Wilmers Road divides into two and you can walk past the fire station but the other part is blocked off as it belongs to Meadow Mushrooms but there is a walkway that leads to a combined walkway / cycleway that takes you to Addington. A few years ago I took a bus to Springs Rd and then walked home to Addington. The SPCA is still on this road. There is water reservoir with an interesting building on the site. I believe that the design on the building is a map of Canterbury.

Doyle Place in Avondale and there wasn’t any information on library website. There are only 8 houses here all built in 1970s and one has been modernised and looked weird. It is possible that this street is named after Arthur Conan Doyle as he lived in Hampshire for many years. I visited his grave when I was working in the New Forest area. The library mentioned that the other streets in the area were named after places and people connected to Isle of Wight.

Cowper Place in Avondale – Named after William Cowper (1731-1800). In a subdivision between the Avon River, west of the Bower Bridge, and the northern end of the Avondale Golf Course of a 50 acre farm formerly belonging to Stewart Clendinning Hampton (1908- 1993). Developed from 1969 by Merrit-Beazley Homes Ltd. All the streets are named after places on the Isle of Wight. Cowper was an English poet and writer who often holidayed on the there. First appears in street directories in 1976.

A reasonable amount of information from the library website and nothing that I can add to it. Only 12 houses in this small street and they were built in 1970s. Very ordinary street with nothing outstanding but there was a cattery and bunny boarding business here.