Church Square – surrounds St Mary’s Church. Not a lot of information on the library website. There is a well used cycleway that goes through Church Square. There is a mixture of new and old houses in the square and most are in a good condition. The square is close to the Salvation Army Hostel and many of the ‘clients’ like to hang around in the church grounds. It is a lovely wooden church and the historic bell-tower is one of my favourite buildings and it is dedicated to the memory of Richard John Seddon. The lych gate is a memorial to local WWI casualties. The drop in centre Manuka Cottage since the earthquakes uses the church as their premises. The church started out as a small room in 1867 but was gradually enlarged until you get the current building. If you want more information about the church you can google St Mary the Virgin in Addington. I do have a geocache hidden here.

Show Place – Named after the neighbouring Addington Show Grounds. The Show Grounds were closed in 1996. Show Place was “devised by property developer Ernie Henshaw as a precinct of high specification, energy-efficient buildings aimed mainly at multinationals”. Formed post-1997

As the library website states this is a street designed for businesses. There are insurance companies, IT businesses and one bank here plus many others. There was also a gym with an attached restaurant. The buildings are modern and I couldn’t really tell which ones were pre-earthquake and post earthquake. One was obvious as it was having work being done on it. The area was nicely landscaped with a decent path for walking. I was pleasantly surprised by this street.
A nice wee water feature and I also found a painted rock under a tree.

Barrie Street – Formerly Jubilee Street. Named to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of HM Queen Victoria (1819-1901), celebrated in 1887. Re-named Barrie Street. Named after James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937). Jubilee Street is first mentioned in the Star in 1888: a birth notice for a child whose parents lived in Jubilee Street, Addington. Re-named Barrie Street by the Sydenham Borough Council in 1889. Barrie was the author of Peter Pan. Probably continues the theme of “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham.

A reasonable amount of information on the library website.

Nearly 18 years years ago I tried to buy a place on this street but sadly it had a faulty title and the bank wouldn’t lend the money. In hindsight that was a good decision. I like the artwork on this street which relates to Peter Pan. I so want to hide a cache here but can’t find a suitable hiding place.

Kipling Street – Formerly Mansfield Street. Named after Kate Hickman Peacock, née Mansfield, (1835?-1894). Re-named Hawkesbury Street. Named after the Hawkesbury district in NSW, Australia. Re-named Kipling Street. Named after Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) Kate Peacock was the first wife of the Hon. John Thomas Peacock (1827-1905). Mansfield Street was developed through his property and named in 1899. Re-named Hawkesbury Street the same year, when the street was officially formed by the Sydenham Borough Council. Peacock was born in the Hawkesbury district, New South Wales. Re-named Kipling Street in 1909. Kipling was an author and Nobel Laureate in Literature in 1907. He visited Christchurch in 1891, calling in at Coker’s Hotel. Probably re-named to continue the theme of “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham

A lot of information from the library website. I often walk this street because of Pokemon Go. I didn’t realise that it had had so many name changes. It is a mixture of old and new houses. I do have a better photo but I quite like this one.

Disraeli Street – Named after Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881). Disraeli was the Prime Minister of Great Britain 1868 and 1874-1880. One of the “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham.

A small amount of information from the library website. I walk part of this street on a daily basis and not only because there 4 Poke Stops for Pokemon Go on the street. Walking the full street this morning I discovered an interesting shop called Junk and Disorderly. Might have to go back for a visit. This street has businesses plus housing. Most of the houses are in a well-kept condition.
This street has the Addington Angels plus some street art so I quite like the street. There is a plaque to Disraeli in the reserve.

Ruskin Street – Named after John Ruskin (1819-1900). Ruskin was an artist, scientist, poet, environmentalist, philosopher, and the preeminent art critic of his day. One of the “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham.

A small amount of information on the library website. Only one street this morning as I slept in. I might have read until after midnight so I could finish a book. Another mixture of old and new houses. Some of the new houses I have watched being built and I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole. One end is a cul du sac and this is where the hoarder guy moved to. The locals were not happy and I don’t blame them. There were lots of newspaper articles when this happened. I probably do have a decent photo of Ruskin but this one with him wearing a road cone as this is such a Christchurch thing. Note since I walked this street the hoarder man has been evicted.

Burke Street – formerly Livingstone Street and Hanover Street and were incorporated into Burke Street. Livingstone was an explorer, missionary and philosopher. Livingstone Street east of Antigua Street was renamed Burke Street. Burke was a British orator, philosopher and politician. Livingstone Street was renamed Hanover Street on 7 March 1904. This was incorporated into Burke Street in 1918 because of duplication of the name.

A reasonable amount of information from the library website. Another street that I used to walk part of when I worked at Sydenham ANZ. Between Selwyn and Angitua Streets it is all housing. Still a few old villas and one has been done up and I really liked it. Still a few old railway workers cottages which are mostly looking in good condition. Lots of new places have been built where the old places were too damaged to repair after the earthquakes. One old house stood out and there was some street art as well.I think that they might like camels.
From Antigua Street to Orbell Street it is a mixture of businesses and houses. The houses here are in much better condition than before the earthquakes as most have been renovated. There is a big garage on this street where the man who was stealing library books used to store them. That is a few years ago now.

Spencer Street formerly Spenser Street. Named after Edmund Spenser (1552?-1599). Spenser was a poet best known for his epic poem, The Faerie Queen. Named to continue the theme of “poets and writers” streets of Sydenham, Addington and Waltham. Intended to be named Spenser Street but is named Spencer Street when it first appears in street directories in 1892.

A reasonable amount of information from the library website.

I often walk this street and I have a cache hidden here. There is a school on this street which is connected to the church. I love the bell tower. There are some lovely old houses on the street which would almost be heritage houses. There are a few worker cottages from the railway days. One end of the street has an old house that looks a bit rundown but has an interesting garden. I like all the teapots in the garden and I thought that I had a photo but couldn’t find it.

With further research on Papers Past I found an article from 1889 where it says that the Western boundary of the site of the Immigration Barracks to be named Spenser Street. In 1903 and 1904 there were many real estate ads selling modern villas on this street. The last time that the spelling of Spenser for this street appears is in 1920.

Lester Lane – formerly Part of Lowe Street, from the railway line to Deans Avenue. Also Lester Street. Named after Roy Stanley Lester (1911-2000). Lester was a Riccarton Borough councillor 1959-1989 and deputy-mayor 1968- 1989. He was also a boxing personality. A small amount of information from the library website.

A short street with the old sale yards one side and businesses on the other side. I checked my cache while here which is hidden in an interesting art work that represents railway history and the earthquakes.The boy racers had obviously been in the area with skid marks on the road and broken glass everywhere.