Matthew Place – Probably named after the Rt. Rev. Dr. Matthew Joseph Brodie (1864-1943). [Christchurch City Council records say this street is named after a Sister Matthew. Fraser Faithfull was not able to trace a Sister of this name.] Brodie was Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch 1915-1943. Named in 2001. Biographical information supplied in 2007 by Fraser Faithfull, archivist with the Good Shepherd Provincialate in Abbotsford, Victoria in correspondence with Margaret Harper
A lot of information from the library website for a tiny street. Modern houses mostly of brick. A couple of houses had recently sold but beyond my price range. No footpath here so I had to walk on the road. No photos.  I have found a Sister Matthew Tohill who died 31/03/1966 aged 65 years. Her name was at the Mt Magdala Cemetery so I believe that the council records are correct and the library website is incorrect.

Constance Place – Continues the theme in the Aidanfield subdivision of street names recognising former Sisters of the Good Shepherd Community, and place names with a strong association to the community. Named in 2010.
A bit of information from the library website but personally I would liked a bit more information about Constance. I didn’t take any photos here. A short street with modern houses and as usual with these small streets there is only a footpath on one side. I find this so annoying.  I have found Sister Constance O’Neill at the Mt Magdala Cemetery and she died 23/04/1948 aged 62.

McMahon Drive – Named after Sister Antonia (Letitia) McMahon (1894- 1976). Sister Antonia was born in Victoria and worked in Christchurch approximately 1915- 1960. The street names in the Aidanfield subdivision are those of former Sisters of the Good Shepherd Order and former residents of the Good Shepherd Sisters’ Home at Halswell. Named in 2001. Biographical information supplied in 2007 by Fraser Faithfull, archivist with the Good Shepherd Provincialate in Abbotsford, Victoria in correspondence with Margaret Harper.

That was a lot more information that I was expecting from the library website. This street was a lot longer than I expected and it is in a new subdivsion and all the houses were modern. They were mostly brick houses with a few made of that cladding that looks like weatherboard. I couldn’t get decent photos here and there was two houses close to each other which were in what I would call a Scandinavian style. There were a couple that were in what I call toilet block style and they are so ugly. Gardens were mostly just lawn and very well-kept but boring. I did stop to chat to an older man as he had large insects decorating his garden. One was a spider so I had to stop and talk. He made them himself with a lathe after he had to stop working because he had had a stoke. He also was originally from Glasgow but has been in NZ for 45 years. He was amazed that I knew he was from Glasgow. Two of the photos are of the green areas but you can see the style of houses as well. The other photo is of an information board and not only was the information interesting but the information board itself was interesting.

Penbury Street – Formerly Aynsleys Alley, No 2. Named after the Murray-Aynsley family. Re-named Percy Street. Named after Hugh Percy MurrayAynsley (1828- 1917). Re-named Leith Street and later Penbury Street. Probably named after Penbury in Kent.
Aynsleys Alley, No 2 was renamed Percy Street in 1889. Murry-Aynsley probably owned the land where the street was formed. Re-named Leith Street on 7 March 1904. Re-named Penbury Street on 1 September 1948 when 120 streets were re-named.
Interesting information from the library website. A lot of name changes for a tiny street that looks like an entrance to a car park. The main building here was for a martial art studio. Cool art work.

Lawson Street – Formerly Elizabeth Street. Conway Street was incorporated into Lawson Street. It ran from Queen Street (later Buchan Street) to Hawdon Street. Named after Henry Lawson (1867- 1922) Elizabeth Street appears on an 1879 map and first appears in street directories in 1887. Re-named Lawson Street in 1909. The Star says Elizabeth Street “was vaguely re-named Lawson Street after “a poet”. Lawson was an Australian writer and poet. Conway Street appears on an 1879 map and is first mentioned in The Press in 1880. Is incorporated into Lawson Street by 1912.
I found the information from the library website to be a bit confusing. A short street in business area of Sydenham. The only photos are of street art that is now on a building site which is why there are men in one of the photos. The street actually goes to Colombo St and there is a bank on that corner.
Edited as I now realise that my sons used to go to judo on this street when they were much younger. I had in my head that it was Lawson St but when I saw a martial Art place on Penbury St I thought that I must have got my streets confused. I was not confused as the martial art place that my sons went to was on Lawson St but the building has been demolished and the business has moved to Woolston. There is an empty overgrown section where it used to be.

Harold Street – Formerly Aynsleys Alley No 4 and Aynsley Street. Named after Hugh Percy Murray-Aynsley (1828-1917). Aynsleys Alley No 4 was re-named Aynsley Street in 1889. Murray-Aynsley probably owned the land where this street was formed. Re-named Harold Street on 1 September 1948 when 120 streets were re-named.
Interesting information from library website but doesn’t say where the name Harold came from. I used to know this tiny street really well as the back entrance of the Sydenham ANZ was here. This was before the earthquakes. Only one of the businesses that I remember is still here. Two photos are of a cake making business.The other is of an old house that was looked dilapidated for as long as I can remember. The gate is new and there is a portable shed in the yard of the old house where a tiling business has set up business.

Bath Street – Probably named after the cathedral city of Bath in Somerset, England.
Not much information from library website. A short street and it has South City Mall on side and various businesses on the other side. On the Colombo St corner there is an old hotel called New City Hotel and it looks very rundown. On the Durham St corner is one of my favourite shops called Office Supplies. Yes it sells stationery. There is a shop that sells Indian food ingredients and I keep meaning to visit it but haven’t yet. A new business called Lighthouse Brewery and I can’t remember what used to be there yet I use this street frequently. There is also a dance studio along here. One of the photos is of an empty section and last time I was here there was an old house on the section.
Bath in England was a city that I knew well and the YHA is up the hill overlooking the city. I used to take Charlotte to Bath frequently for dentist visits.

I checked Past Papers and couldn’t find out why this street got it’s name. There was a brewery here in 1899 and it was a residential street for a long time.