Rochdale St in Fendalton- Named after Rochdale in Lancashire, England. John Ingledew Royds (1870-1949) bought land there when Annie Townend’s Mona Vale estate was auctioned in 1915. His family came from Rochdale in Lancashire. The street was formed when his land was subdivided. First mentioned in The Press in 1926. First appears in street directories in 1927.

A small amount of information from the library website. I never visited Rochdale but do remember driving past it. An old lady that I looked after when I was in the UK was descended from Rochdale mill owner.

Papers Past had lots of death notices and a few birth notices and once you get into 1970s there are engagement notices. In 1927 the drainage board used a trench digger for the first time to dig trenches for sewage on this street. In 1929 this street was included in a big paving program. In 1951 trees were planted along the street. Many news articles about burglaries on this street. The street runs from Straven Rd to Harakeke St and many of the houses were built in the 1930s. There are still 3 houses from the 1920s but the others have been demolished. the modern ones were so ugly and I know that I am biased but they just don’t fit into the character of the street. There was one modern house that I liked but it is well beyond my budget. There was a 1930s house that stood out and again well beyond my budget.

Colwyn Street in Bryndwr – Named after Colwyn Bay, a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales, overlooking the Irish Sea. Colwyn Bay was a favourite place to holiday for Frederick Charles Williams (1887- 1963) and his family. He owned land in Brookside Terrace where he grew tomatoes commercially. He developed Colwyn Street to give access to the rear of his property. Named in 1955. Information

supplied in 2015 by Mason Williams, great-grandson of Fred Williams. “New streets in Christchurch”, The Press, 28 June 1955, p 6

A reasonable amount of information from the library website and nothing that I can add about the name of the street.

Found the same information on Papers Past about new streets. In 1958 there was an ad for the tender for extension of the street. In 1959 there was at least one objection to the land where the road extension was planned being rezoned as residential as they wanted it to be zoned commercial. Same year there was a special order allowing the road extension. In the 1960s and 1970s the Vintage Car Club had club rooms on this street. Aorangi School was on this street until it closed in 2010 but not a lot of information on Papers Past about the school. This explains the big empty section on the street. The street runs off Aorangi Rd and at the other end there is a walkway through to Wairakei Rd. This end of the street was taken up by Elmswood Retirement Home. Most houses were built in the 1950s and 1960s with a few ugly modern places. None of the houses stood out as they were typical style for the era except for one house. I would loved to have had a better look at it or managed to get photos as it had a lovely garden plus a gazebo. The house itself was ordinary but the garden made it outstanding. The owners had named it Caithness Cottage. I had used the walkway from Maelor Place to get to this street.

Maelor Place in Bryndwr – Named after a 38km walkway near the village of Penley in Wales.The land where this street was developed was purchased about 1937 by Frederick Charles Williams (1887- 1963), a builder. He grew tomatoes commercially on this site and also used the land as a ready supply of topsoil. This land was compulsorily acquired by the government for Aorangi Primary School in the 1950s. It was offered back to the Williams family after the school was closed in 2010. The street was formed on the final subdivision of Williams’ land. [The Williams family had wanted the street to be named Penley Place because Fred Williams had been born in Penley in east Wales. This name was declined by Christchurch City Council as there were other similar street names and there was potential for confusion.] Named in 2015. Information about Fred Williams supplied in 2015 by his great grandson, Mason Williams.

A reasonable amount of information from the library website and the walkway in Wales is called Maelor Way. When I checked it on the map I realised that I have walked a small portion of the walkway that is near Chirk. This is a very new street and the houses are from 2019 and 2020 with houses still being built. There are some seriously ugly modern houses here and the best thing about the street is the name. I was geocaching in the area last night.

Rhyl Place in Bryndwr – Named after Rhyl, a seaside resort town and community in Denbighshire, situated on the north east coast of Wales, at the mouth of the River Clwyd. Rhyl was a favourite place to holiday for Frederick Charles Williams (1887-1963) and his family. He was the developer of the street about 1956. First appears in street directories in 1970. Information supplied in 2015 by Mason Williams, great grandson of Fred Williams.

A small amount of information from the library website and nothing that I can add about the name of the street. Not a lot of information on Papers Past apart from a few death notices. In 1967 the street is mentioned as a proposed street and revocation of the road reserve. Revocation of the road reserve in mentioned again in 1975. I googled Rhyl and I hadn’t been there but it wasn’t far from Conwy where I have stayed.

There are 18 houses here mostly built in 1970s and 1980s but a couple of ugly modern houses. The weirdest looking house is from the 1980s. There were also about four houses that were built in an older style that I liked. Looked like a pleasant street that runs off Colwyn St.

Cunliffe Rd in Redwood – formerly Part of Farquhars Road. First appears in street directories in 1960. A tiny amount of information from the library website. I couldn’t find any information on Papers Past about the change in the street and the only map I could find was from 1962 and it already had Cunliffe Rd on it. In 1970 there were sections for sale and I suspect that these sections would have been from William Cunliffe’s estate as he died in 1965. Found a brief obituary for William and he was the nephew of Richard John Seddon. He was 85 when he died and had worked for the railways for most of his life. Lived on Cunliffe Rd when he retired. Not quite right but close. In 1949 William and his wife lived at 448 North Road and in 1957 it has them at 448 Cunliffe Rd but by 1963 he was at 7 Cunliffe Rd. What I think that I need to check out is when the overbridge was built. A pleasant street that runs off the Main North Rd and William’s house at No 7 is now called Cunliffe House and is a rest home. It looks like a lovely place to retire to and if you ever see a man sitting on his walking frame near the overbridge he is from the rest home. Only 12 houses here dating from 1950 to 1990.

Tracy Place in Redwood and all the library website said was that it was named in 1972. Papers Past just had a few ads for the sale of sections between 1973 and 1978. I couldn’t find out the reason for the street name. Most houses were built in 1970s and 1980s. I quite liked this street and there was one house that I really liked. I was surprised to find out that it was built in 1970 as it looked older.

Kaumatua Place in Redwood and it isn’t on the library website. I didn’t actually walk this street as it was obviously social housing. I don’t feel comfortable or safe to walk such streets. The units are owned by the Christchurch City council and the 10 units were built in 1977. The council website actually gives the address as 15 Barnes Rd.

Canberra Place in Redwood and I was very surprised that this street wasn’t on the library website. When I walked the street yesterday my first thought was that the houses had a very 1960ish look about them plus there was a footpath on both sides of the street. I was correct about 1960 as most houses here were built in the 1960s. Papers Past also had several ads for sections being available for sale in the 1960s. The for sale ads had the sections as being in Papanui or occasionally North Papanui. A few death notices and they frequently used Styx as the suburb. Redwood was only used from the late 1970s. In 1962 a sum of £430 was approved for the Canberra Place Reserve for levelling of the ground and providing playground equipment. I couldn’t find out why the name Canberra was used. There didn’t seem to be anything special happening in Canberra at the time and the original owner of the land didn’t have a connection to Canberra.

Looked like a pleasant street and the reserve is still there and yes I was geocaching in the reserve. Nothing stood out for me and I didn’t take any photos.

Albert Sheppard Close in Yaldhurst – Named after Albert Shepherd George (1868?-1962). [NB His name is spelt incorrectly in the street name.]The land developed into the Delamain subdivision had been owned by the George family for the last three generations. The original purchaser and his son were both named Albert Shepherd George. Named in 2007.

A small amount of information from library website. The George family possibly owned the land but they didn’t live there. Both father and son farmed in the Amberley area and the farm was called The Mound and was at Waipara. The father moved to Christchurch and lived on Clyde Rd when he retired. His son took over the farm. There was also two daughters and the father tried disinheriting one of the daughters but the courts overturned this.

The houses here look exactly the same but there is a lovely green area behind the houses. The houses were mostly built in 2010.

Rhodes Street in Merivale – Named after Arthur Edgar Gravenor Rhodes (1859- 1922). Rhodes was a lawyer, politician and property investor. He also built Te Koraha, now the nucleus of Rangi Ruru School. Rhodes Street is first mentioned in the Star in an advertisement in 1906. First appears in street directories in 1909. Rhodes is a resident.

A small amount of information from the library website. There was a huge amount of information on Papers Past and there was also Rhodes Streets in Timaru and Waimate. Arthur Rhodes was born in Timaru but settled in Christchurch. The other streets are named after the same family.

Between 1918 and 1920 many entries were about the road being the most dangerous thoroughfare in Christchurch because of the sharp bend. Many accidents including two trams colliding. By 1920 it was decided to widen the road and Mr Rhodes gave land from the front of his property for the widening.

In 1916 the Rhodes Street Home was opened and it was also known as the Presbyterian Home for Boys. The house that the orphanage moved into was called Te Kiteroa and was the residence of the late J C Wilkin. Mr Wilkin had been the manager of the Lyttelton Times. There is also a house in Waimate with the same name which sadly was badly damaged by fire this year. By 1924 the orphanage was a Girls Home.

In 1923 Te Koraha the home of the late Mr A E G Rhodes was for sale. The ad for the sale of the house made a big deal of being the only private house in the Dominion to have been occupied by King George and Queen Mary during their trip in 1901. They were the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York at that stage. It was MR A E G Rhodes’s son Tahu Rhodes selling the property. Rangi Ruru School moved into this property in 1923. Rangi Ruru School was started by the Gibson family in 1889 and run by Helen and Ethel Gibson who were born in Lyttelton to a Captain Gibson. The school outgrew the premises on Webb St which is why the move to Rhodes St. The Presbyterian Church purchased the school in 1946.

I am going to have to go back to this street to take a photo of the lime tree that it is on the street. It was apparently planted in honour of the Duke and Duchess when they visited New Zealand in 1901. Some people in letters to the editor said the the Duke and Duchess planted the tree and it should have a plaque. The editor replied to say that they didn’t plant the tree.

During the 1930s and 1940s there were many entries about the Rhodes Street Reserve and arguments about the council planning on selling the reserve. Rangi Ruru were going to buy the reserve but it stayed public for many years.

Arthur E G Rhodes died in December 1922 and his wife Rose died 10 years later in 1932. She was in London staying with her son when she fell 60 feet to her death from his Chelsea apartment. The inquest couldn’t decide if the death was an accident or suicide but it was hinted that it was probably suicide.

Most houses were built in 1990s and 2000s but one is from 1890 and I did like that house. The house that intrigued me the most was built in 1934 and the architect was Heathcote Helmore. The house was built for a widow and she wanted it to be flats. She lived in one flat and rented the others out to other widows. The house was damaged in the earthquakes but the new owners decided to restore it and it is now two flats. The house has always been called St Ives. The street obviously still has the school here and I believe that it is the boarding house part of the school on this street. The street runs from Helmore Lane and is split in half by Rossall St and it then comes to a dead end at Carlton Mill Rd end.