Dominion Ave – May have been named after the Dominion Home Builders. The building company built many of the homes in the street which is first mentioned in The Press in 1922. First appears in street directories in 1924. NB New Zealand had become a dominion in 1907.

A small amount of information from the library website. I actually walked this street last week but forgot to write it up. From Papers Past there were ads for sections in 1922 and houses for sale in 1924. Couldn’t find anything about the naming of the street but the word Dominion was used a lot for the naming of streets in New Zealand so my personal feeling for the naming is New Zealand becoming a dominion. QV had the houses built either 1920s or 1960s.
Most houses are wooden villas but a couple of brick houses. Back entrance to South Intermediate is on this street. The street is tree lined and the colours are lovely in autumn.

Edited as I found out in January 2024 that this street was originally called Simpson’s Lane.

Simpson’s Lane AKA Dominion Ave in Spreydon. Simpson’s lane doesn’t exist and it is now part of Dominion Ave. The library website doesn’t mention Simpson’s Lane in connection with Dominion Ave. The 1912 map of Spreydon shows at least 6 properties on one side of the street and one larger property on the other side. A small number of entries on Papers Past. In 1915 there were complaints about the state of the road. In 1920 Dominion Home Builders were removing old buildings on this street. In 1923 there were several ads for the sale of sections. Note most of the houses on this part of Dominion Ave date from the 1920s. In 1929 the Education Dept were looking at the purchase of land fronting onto Simpson’s Lane for a new school. A further mention of the school describes Intermediate school in Addington with frontage on Selwyn St and access from Milne St and Simpson’s Lane. Milne St is now Manhire St and the school is Christchurch South Intermediate.

I couldn’t find out which Simpson had the lane named after him as a couple of men with that surname lived in the area but none in the immediate area. Alexander Simpson owned a shop on Colombo Street South. Stephen Simpson lived at various addresses and at one stage he was living on Harper St which is now Orbell St. My personal favourite is Stephen Simpson but only because he was bankrupt in 1879. He owned a grocer shop and at one stage was in partnership with John Wilson.

I walked Dominion Ave in April 2020 but because the library website didn’t mention Simpson’s Lane I didn’t look up the information. If you are looking at the date of when I walked Dominion Ave yes we were in lockdown but this street was in easy walking distance for me from my home. I did a lot of walking during lockdown.

Angus Street – Named after John Craib Angus. St Andrew’s Presbyterian marriage records have Angus, a saddler, marrying Janet Murison in 1859 at the home of John Anderson, Cashel Street. Angus was a member of the first Christchurch City Council in 1868. He later absconded overseas, probably to Australia, to escape his creditors. An election was held in 1869 to fill the vacancy on the Christchurch City Council caused by his departure. The formation of this street was discussed at a meeting of the Sydenham Borough Council in 1878 when Thomas Russell, a carpenter and resident, applied for it to be formed. This was agreed to “provided the street be dedicated and the cost of formation prepaid”. First appears in street directories in 1887.

Really interesting information from the library website for a small street in Sydenham. Found the same information from 1878 on Papers Past. From 1879 to 1881 there were lots of ads for the sale of cottages. Many of these ads mentioned being close to Agricultural Show Grounds.In the late 1860s there is a few articles about John Angus being bankrupt so I am surprised that they named a street after him. There was an article dated 1912 about a malthouse being destroyed by fire.

I tried to find more information about John Angus on an Ancestry website but he seemed to have disappeared. It wasn’t helped by him having a son with the same name. He was born in Scotland and was possibly in Melbourne in 1872. Creditors were having problems trying to find him. The family trees I found had him dying in two different years. Some had him dying in 1874 and others had him dying in 1903 but none had proof and I couldn’t find any confirmation for either date. Craib was probably his mother’s maiden name. His wife possibly died in 1916 under the name Jane Angus and is buried at Linwood. Again the family trees had no proof that this Jane Angus is the same person.

This street at the Colombo St end had businesses and the street leads to Bradford Park. A mixture of new apartment style houses especially down Bradford Park end. Still many old cottages here dating from early 1900s. There was a group of flats that looked like social housing but they didn’t come up on QV website or have street numbers. I spent ages online with this street as the details were so interesting.

Shelley Street – Named after Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792- 1822). Shelley was an English poet. One of the “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham named by a committee of the Sydenham Borough Council on 19 January 1880. First mentioned in The Press in 1882 when land for sale there is advertised. First appears in street directories in 1903.

A small amount of information from the library website. In Papers Past there were sections for sale in 1878. Those days there was also a Shelley St in Avonside.
This is a tiny street and all but one house are over 100 years old. There is just one modern house dated from 1990s. Most are wooden workers cottages but there is one brick house from 1890. Sadly it is boarded up and I really hope that it gets repaired. I found one of the houses mentioned on a heritage website. The QV website had this house at 6 Shelley St as being built in 1915 but the heritage website has it dated from 1878. Gorgeous old cottages.

Beaumont Street – Named after Francis Beaumont (1584- 1616). Beaumont was a poet and dramatist. One of the “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham named by a committee of the Sydenham Borough Council on 19 January 1880. First appears in street directories in 1887.

A small amount of information from the library website. Papers Past has ads for sale of sections dated 1881. Several ads for sale of cottages in 1885 and 1886. There was a letter of complaint dated in 1889 where a householder was refusing to pay his rates until the drains were fixed. In 1882 there was a letter of complaint where someone was complaining about his neighbour lighting bonfires. In 1919 there were ads from a joinery company on this street.
QV has the houses here dating from 1890 to 1915. The houses are looking rundown and are only on one side of the street as the Countdown supermarket takes up the full extent of the other side of the street. There is also a tyre company on this street at the Colombo St end. This street didn’t do a lot for me but the gorgeous Shelley St runs of Beaumont St.

Forbes Street – Probably named after Edward Forbes (1815- 1854). Forbes was a British naturalist. First mentioned in The Press in 1881 when Anderson’s paddock is subdivided into 44 sections ”situated in the best part of Sydenham” and sold by auction. First appears in street directories in 1906

A small amount of information from the library website. Found the same article about Anderson’s paddock being subdivided. Papers Past had lots of ads in 1881 and 1882 for sections for sale on this street. There was another lot of ads in 1896 and 1898. There was also mention of Anderson’s paddock being bounded by Cashel, Lichfield and Bardadoes Streets. It is highly likely that Anderson had more than one block of land as he was a successful businessman.
Nothing on Papers Past to say why it was called Forbes Street and Edward Forbes is certainly possible. There were also at least two businessmen with the surname Forbes who lived in the area. A mixture of houses here ranging from old cottages to a brand new house. The older cottages dated from 1905 and 1910. One house built in 2012 looks exactly like the older cottages so I am assuming it has been rebuilt to look exactly the same as the original. There were several two story flats built in 1975 that looked different and were curved rather than straight. The street also has the back of the Countdown on it. One end of the street ends at Bradford Park.

St Leonard’s Square is first mentioned in The Press in 1882. Very little information on the library website. I found the article from 1882 where a section is for sale. Most articles on Papers Past mention the park and not the street. Going by QV website many houses date from 1915 and 1920s but one is a bit more modern and dated from 1990. My best guess for the name would be that it is from the town in East Sussex.
I obviously walked this tiny street before lockdown. The houses are only on one side of the street as St Leonards Square Park is on the other side

Duncan Street- nothing on library website. I was surprised that there wasn’t any information about this street in Sumner on the library website. In Papers Past there were ads for a new house in 1910. I searched and searched but couldn’t find out the reason for the name. I would like to know more about a Dr James Duncan to see if the street was named after him but had no luck there either.
I obviously walked this street before lockdown and it is a mixture of old houses and newer ones. It is a weird street as it is split into two but an article on Papers Past dated 1923 explains why. St Leonards Square Park was enlarged in 1923 and a road was closed so that this could be done.They didn’t name the closed street in the article but if you look at Google Maps and see the shape of the street the article from 1923 makes a lot of sense and it has to be referring to Duncan St.I didn’t manage any photos here and I am not sure why.

Denman Street formerly Denham Street – Named after Edward Denham (1834-1925). Denham was a mayor of Sumner in the early 1900s. Sections for sale in Denham Street, “close to Lyttelton Road”, are advertised in the Star in 1905. The street appears as Denham Street in 1906 street directories but the name was misspelt during a later street naming project.

A wee bit of information from the library website. On Papers Past there were lots of ads for sections in 1905 but I did find an entry dated January 1904 about someone being fined for letting his donkeys wander. I found entries using the name Denham St as late as 1920 and entries using the name Denman as early as 1917. Edward Denham worked for Land Registry and became mayor of Sumner when he retired. Obituary for him in February 1925 and he was a busy man.

Note I walked this before lockdown but didn’t get around to writing it up. A pleasant street with a mixture of brick houses and lovely wooden villas. The street goes from Wakefield Ave and then curves around and becomes Duncan St. Part of it borders a park which is possibly called St Leonards.

Arnold Street is first mentioned in The Press in 1895. First appears in street directories in 1912. Not a lot from the library website.
I checked Papers Past and Ancestry website. I found the same article from 1895 and it was about a water issue on the street. Several sections in the street for sale in 1905 and in 1916 the council provided money for a footpath and a new bridge. I suspect that the street is named after a person and there was a family with that surname in Lyttelton but couldn’t find a Sumner connection.. There was also a Mr Arnold who worked for Dalgety and Co and it sounded like he was high up in the company. There was also an actor called Mr Arnold who was very popular at this time and he had done at least three tours to NZ.
I have just realised that I haven’t found a cemetery in Sumner. This street had a mixture of new and old houses and no house style really stood out for me. There was one lovely old house that I loved and my photo just doesn’t do it justice. Interesting letterbox at another house. Another street that I walked before lockdown.

Campbell Street -A street in the Johnstoneville subdivision in Sumner. First mentioned in The Press in a report of a meeting of the Sumner Borough Council in 1907. First appears in street directories in 1910.
Not much information on the library website.
I disagree with their date 1907 as I found an entry dated 1904 on Papers Past and it was about someone being fined for letting horses wander. Couldn’t find anything mentioning Johnstoneville subdivision. I also searched various names on Ancestry website with no luck. There was a property called Glen Lea and it is possible that there was someone with a Scottish connection on this street but can’t find any information. There was a business or property called Dingley Dell that was on this street and the earliest mention of this was in 1896.
Another street with a mixture of new and old houses and my photo is of a house that was mentioned a couple of times in Papers Past. I also got a photo of a modern ugly house. Please note that I walked this street before the lockdown and are catching up on my logging of the streets.