Suva St in Upper Riccarton – formerly Greens Lane. Green’s Lane is an early informal name mentioned in street directories running off 40b Middleton Road 1943-1948. No residents are listed. Re-named Suva Street in June 1948 when 24 streets in the Waimairi County were re-named.

A small amount of information from the library website. The only mention on Papers Past about Greens Lane in Upper Riccarton was the notice about changing the name to Suva St. There was a Greens Lane that ran off Tuam St and that was the only one mentioned on Papers Past. In 1950 there were plans for a new War Veteran Home to be built on the corner of Suva St and Hansons Lane. This building will replace the Rannerdale Home on Papanui Rd. It was to be set in 9 acres of wooded lane. In 1954 there was a builder contract to build the new Rannerdale Home.

In 1950 there was a letter to the editor from a local complaining about all the new houses being built on Suva St. He described them as flat topped bungalows in 16 perch sections. He was also complaining about name change to Suva St from Bowen’s Lane. He said that the pretty little lane ran past Charles Bowen’s house. I tried checking old maps but none of them showed Upper Riccarton. In 1959 residents on Suva St requested that 60 trees on Labour Departments Immigration Hostel on Hansons Lane to be cut down or topped as they were blocking the sun from the houses on Suva St. In 1974 there were several complaints about the heavy trucks using the street. The usual death notices as well as a few birth notices and engagement notices.

A huge number of houses here were built in the 1950s and none stood out for me. A couple from 1940 and a few from other decades. Many were also built in 1990s and several built in 2019. The ones built in 2019 are called Rannerdale Apartments and are on land which belonged to Rannerdale Home. They are stark ugly buildings built on land which looked like it had been a lovely green area with gardens and trees. There is an entrance to Middleton Grange on this street and opposite side of the street is playing grounds for the school. There is now a big cycleway on this street and at the Curletts Rd end it is only one way traffic while they are working on the cycleway. It was scary when I was walking this street to see a car turn into the street from Curletts Rd totally ignoring the closed sign. It had to go onto the wrong side of the road to turn onto Suva St and there was a truck that it nearly hit. The truck driver didn’t look happy about such a close call.

Auburn Ave in Upper Riccarton and nothing on library website yet most houses were built in the 1940s. The street is possibly named after a place in Ireland. Many entries on Papers Past were about the water pump and water supply issues. There must have been a water tower on the street but it was moved in 1957 as it was no longer required. In the same year a pumping station was being built but they were having problems with unstable ground. In 1959 a block of 10 shops to be built on the corner of Auburn Ave and Riccarton Rd. In 1952 a playground to be built between Auburn Ave and Riccarton Rd and in 1962 a new scout den was opened in Auburn Reserve. As usual there were lots of death notices. What I looked for on Papers Past but didn’t find was information about State Houses as the houses built in 1940s were State Houses. There are about 40 houses built in 1940s and some are still State Houses. The reason that I know that most of the street had State Houses is that in the 1990s the government had a special scheme to help tenants of the State Houses buy the houses they were living in. I was working in a bank and saw several customers who were wanting to buy their houses. One successful applicant lived on this street. When I was walking the street yesterday I just couldn’t remember which house it was yet I had visited it more than once.

The shops on the corner of Auburn Ave and Riccarton Rd are still there. Most of the houses still have a state house look about them but that will be because of when they were built. There were two houses that stood out for me. One was because it was a bit quirky and the other because it looked like it had been a church. I couldn’t find any evidence of it having been a church and in the 1940s through to 1970s it was a private home. It is now houses a counselling service business.

Renfrew St in Upper Riccarton – First appears in street directories in 1950.

A tiny amount of information from the library website. It has either been named after a person or after Renfrew near Glasgow Airport. Very little information on Papers Past apart from a few death notices. The most interesting article was in 1971 where the residents of the street objected to a Mr R L Kennedy adding extra units to his existing blocks of flats. The residents feared that it would affect the pleasant character of their street. Mr Kennedy was refused permission to build the extra units.

There were a couple of houses from 1940 and several from 1960s. There are possibly social housing. The houses built in 1950s seem to be privately owned and were definitely the tidier places. Many houses are promoted for students to rents. There was a big block of flats that looked like social housing but couldn’t find anything online to say that they were social housing.

I didn’t really like this street.

Tiora Place in Upper Riccarton – formerly Henley Place. Henley Place first appears in street directories in 1950. Re-named Tiora Place in 1951.

A small amount of information from the library website. Not a lot of information on Papers Past. Only found two entries for Henley Place and one was about thefts from houses that were under construction. Under Tiroa Place there were ads where residents were selling items. A couple of incidents of assaults after parties.

Only 8 houses here and most had a state house feel about them. They were built in the 1940s. The ones built in 1990s seemed to be privately owned.

Brake St in Upper Riccarton – Formerly Church Street. Named after the Upper Riccarton Methodist Church situated in the street. Re-named Brake Street. Named after Robert Brake (1852- 1929) and his wife Margaret Ann Brake. The foundation stone for the church was laid on 24 May 1886. Church Street first appears in street directories in 1903. One of the five residential streets containing mainly workers’ cottages making up the area known as Peerswick. Re-named Brake Street by the Waimairi County Council on 8 February 1933. Margaret Ann Brake (1851?-1935), widow of Robert Brake, is then listed in street directories living at 8 Brake Street. With the support of Sir Charles and Lady Bowen, the Brakes had purchased land at Upper Riccarton and opened a shop, Brakes General Store, a coal yard and a timber yard on the site. Their daughter Charlotte ran the Upper Riccarton Post Office until the mid-1920s.

A reasonable amount of information from the library website. There were so many Church Streets that it was impossible to read all the entries on Papers Past. The Riccarton Lodge of Manchester Unity had a hall here from 1911 but in 1959 they built 3 shops on the site. There are still shops on the same corner but I don’t know if they are still owned by Manchester Unity. The Methodist Church is on the other corner and in 1961 they planned on using an old house because the Sunday School was getting overcrowded. When Robert Brake died in 1929 only his sons are mentioned in his obituary. In his obituary his shop is mentioned as having been destroyed by fire fairly recently before his death.

The church is still there and most houses on the street were built in 1970s. On one side of the street between Yaldhurst Rd and Leslie St it is only commercial buildings. The best looking house on the street looks like it is a medical centre. Personally wouldn’t like to live on this street.

Bowen St in Upper Riccarton- Named after Charles Christopher Bowen (1830-1917). Bowen was an administrator, politician, poet, magistrate and educationalist. His home was Middleton Grange, in Riccarton. One of the five residential streets containing mainly workers’ cottages making up the area known as Peerswick. First mentioned in The Press in 1882 in a report of a meeting of the Riccarton Road Board when a number of residents of the Peerswick Tavern asked the Board to form Bowen Street so the adjoining properties would have better drainage. First appears in street directories in 1903.

A reasonable amount of information from the library website and that I can add about the name. I found the same article on Papers Past about forming the street. The rest of the entries were about Bowen St in Sydenham. In 1903 Peerswick Villa was mentioned. Lots of death notices. In 1964 pensioner flats to be built and 56 units planned. Most houses here were built between 1060 and 1990s with most built in 1970s. Still 3 older cottages from 1910 and 1920 but I couldn’t get a photo of them. None of the houses stood out for me but there were some nice gardens. A friend told me that it is very convenient because of the Mall and the buses.

Brulay Courts in Upper Riccarton and nothing on library website. It is on google maps and on NZ Postcode website but there isn’t a street sign actually at the street. It is possibly social housing or over 60s units. It is also possible that it is just a right of way for the 10 units at 59 Waimairi Rd and it was going to be named Brulay Courts but this didn’t happen.

Peerswick Court in Upper Riccarton and nothing on the library website. Technically this isn’t a street but is a right of way for the 12 houses at 43 Waimairi Rd. Peerswick is from the fact that this area used to be called Peerswick Township after the huge property that was owned by one of the Wakefield family. Peer was a horse and apparently wick means village. The houses were built in 1970s.

Reading St in Upper Riccarton and nothing on the library website yet most houses here were built in 1960s I walked this street by accident as I thought that I was still on Kiltie St. There wasn’t any signpost to say that I was on a different street. I originally was going to comment that Kiltie St was a T shape but looking at the map I quickly realised that the T shape was actually Reading St. I am assuming that it is named after Reading in the UK. Not much information on Papers Past. There were 12 sections available in 1964. In 1971 the residents objected to a hospital for the aged being built at 43 Waimairi Rd as it would cause traffic issues so a site was found elsewhere. In 1973 the 7 residents objected to 15 ownership flats being built on the street and these flats would have a right of way to Waimairi Rd. None of the houses stood out for me but there are two new houses being built at one end of the street. It was at this end that I got slightly confused as there is a sign saying Peerswick Court entry but google maps say that it is part of Reading St. I suspect that the private right of way is actually Peerswick Court and I am basing this on how the houses in Reading St are numbered.

Kiltie St in Upper Riccarton – Named by Joseph Irvine Colligan (1910-1965). Colligan, a hairdresser, was chairman of the Waimairi County Council 1960-1965. His cousin, Charles “Charlie” Gibson, lived at 40 Waimairi Road, opposite where Kiltie Street was formed. He was a member of the Caledonian Pipe Band, members of which wore a kilt when performing. Named in 1961. First appears in street directories in 1964. Information supplied in 2004 by Aileen Colligan (d. 2010) in an interview with Margaret Harper. Waimairi County Council minutes book, 1961, CH357/50, p 1093,held at Christchurch City Council archives.

A reasonable amount of information from the library website and what surprise to find out that members of a pipe band wore kilts. Yes that last comment is dripping with sarcasm.

Not much information on Papers Past apart from the usual death notices. Should we be concerned that there are lots more death notices than birth or marriage notices on Papers Past. In 1962 it is described as an executive subdivision and 15 sections were available. I found Pipe Major Charles Gibson of the Caledonian Pipe Band mentioned in 1934. He was also mentioned in 1920 when he married Barbara Irvine at St Andrews Church. Reason he was mentioned was because he wore a kilt at his wedding.

All the houses on the street were built in 1960s and none stood out for me but 2 or 3 had an unkempt look about them. If you look at street view for September 2022 the same properties look nice and tidy. They possibly belong to the water rates protest group. Fr some reason this street didn’t have a street sign saying which street it was and I had to double check my map to make sure that I had the correct street. I am very disappointed that there wasn’t a kilt in sight. I don’t have an obsession with pipe bands and men in kilts. Honestly I don’t. I also have no idea why there was a sign of an arrow in a tree here.