Major Aitken Drive in Huntsbury – Named after Major (later Doctor) William (known as Peter) Aitken (d. 1959) Aitken was the commanding officer of the Cashmere Military Sanatorium from 1 June 1920-June 1922. This took the form of shelters high on the open hillside above Cashmere Sanatorium. Named in 1993. First appears in street directories in 1996.

A small amount of information from the library website and because of two mistakes in their information it took me longer to research than it should have. Major Aitken was William Aitken and his son and his father were Peter Aitken. He also died in 1958 and found his obituary in December 1958. Major Aitken was born in Dunedin and educated at Otago Boys High School. He graduated from Otago Medical School in 1914 and he served in the NZ Medical Corps. Received Military Cross for Gallantry and reached the rank of lieutenant Colonel. He was superintendent of Military Sanatorium between 1919 and 1925. He then went into private practice specialising in chest complaints. He died at his home on Dyers Pass Rd. He retired in 1949 due to ill health. His wife Annie was assistant matron at Gisborne hospital and did military training at Wellington Hospital. She was amongst the nurses who went to the war on the ship HMHS Marama. She received the British War Medal and the Victoria Medal.

Most houses on this street were built in 1990s and 2000s with one built in 1980 plus a few newer places. This was a long and steep street that I walked on Friday as I was geocaching on this street. So many little streets and lanes run off this street. For a long street there is only 56 houses here but many are fairly large. I liked several of them but there was the usual ugly modern houses here as well. I walked down the street and then walked back to my car via Coronation Reserve and there is an entrance to the reserve from this street. It wasn’t the safest street to walk and the reason was that for much of the street there was a footpath on only one side of the street. You would be walking on the footpath and it would come to an end and the footpath would then be on the other side of the street. The trouble was that this would happen on a very sharp bend and you would then have to cross the street on a blind corner.

Shearer Ave in Papanui – Named after John “Jack” Shearer (1886-1977). Jack Shearer and his three sons built houses all over Papanui. He moved to Auckland in 1965. First appears in street directories in 1960.

A small amount of information from the library website. I spent far too long on research on Papers Past, Ancestry website and cemetery databases. The best information came from entries for John and Lily’s Diamond Wedding celebration in 1971. John was born in Ashburton and moved to Christchurch in 1922. Went into building business with his two brothers. Retired in 1946. One entry said that their current address was 4 Shearer Ave but the other entry said that they lived in Auckland with their daughter. All family trees on Ancestry website gave John’s death as being in July 1977 in Christchurch but they didn’t provide any proof and I couldn’t find any records for his death. Lily died in NSW in 1985 and going by the gravestone John isn’t buried with her. Their son Kenneth John Shearer was responsible for the building of the houses on this street going by the ads for the sale of sections in 1956. He also lived at 4 Shearer Ave. Most houses were built in 1950s and 1960s but there is four apartment style built this year and going by a sign on a fence another study well built house will be knocked down and replaced with four modern places. It is a property developer whose houses I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole. I had to google the word sullage as in 1961 this was an issue. It is another word for waste water. The saddest story from this street was a young 17 year old who lived on this street died on Caroline Face, Mt Cook and they had trouble retrieving the body because of weather conditions. None of the houses stood out for me and were typical of the 1950s and 1960s era. At the end of the street is a park with a playground and I was geocaching in the area. Do be careful if using the park as there are some dodgy characters who use the area.

Roderick Alleyn Lane in Papanui – Named after Detective Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn, the main series character of the author Ngaio Marsh (1895- 1982). The character made his debut in 1934 in the novel A Man Lay Dead. The street is next to the Ngaio Marsh Retirement Village. Named in 2001.

A small amount of information from the library website and nothing that I can add about the name of the street. I have read all of her books as I like murder mysteries. I have also visited her home in the Cashmere Hills when they had an open day a couple of years ago. Most houses built in 2000 except for one built in 1980. Considering it is a private lane there was a footpath at the beginning of the lane so I was able to walk part of the street. The houses are huge and well above my budget. I would quite like to live here if I could afford it.

Vista Place in Huntsbury – First appears in street directories in 1991. A tiny amount of information from the library website. My best guess about the name of the street is because of the great views from here as one meaning of vista is pleasing view.

Most houses here were built in 1990s but two or three are from 1980. A few are more recent and there is one still being built. There was at least one very ugly house but there was one Mediterranean style house that I quite liked. I ended up walking this street twice as I walked it at the beginning of my walk and then at the end of my walk as I walked through Coronation Reserve to get back to my car.

Edited to say that I forgot to add that this street also has restricted night time access because of idiots who terrorised the street with loud music and doing burnouts plus other anti social behaviour.

Yelverton Place in Huntsbury and there wasn’t any information on the library website. The street would have been named after Yelverton in England in keeping with the theme of naming streets in this area after places in England.

Great views from this street and the houses were huge. They were also well beyond my budget. One fairly ordinary house had great artwork. Most houses were built in 2000 with a couple built fairly recently.

Trumble Lane in Huntsbury – Named after Louisa Mary Trumble (1874- 1955). Louisa Trumble nursed at the Cashmere Sanatorium. She was matron of the Military Sanatorium 1920- 1929 and matron of the Tuberculosis Institution 1929-1935. Named in 1993

A small amount of information from the library website. Papers Past had several entries for Louisa including an obituary. In 1918 she was awarded the Royal Red Cross medal because of her war record. She is buried in the Karori Cemetery in Wellington in the RSA section of the cemetery. Louisa was from Westport but was at the Christchurch Hospital when she went to the war zone. In 1923 she was appointed matron of the new open air home for children.

I didn’t actually walk this street as it definitely looked like a private driveway but apparently 9 houses on this street mostly built in 1990.

Trecastle Lane in Huntsbury – Formed post-1997. Tiny amount of information from the library website. If this street was named under the theme of naming streets in this area after places in England then they mucked up big time plus insulted the Welsh. Trecastle is a village in the Brecon area of Wales. I have stayed in a YHA nearby and will have driven through this village. It was another tiny street that looked like a driveway to a couple of houses. One house that I thought was on Major Aitken Drive is actually on Trecastle Lane and it was an interesting looking house with an Art Deco look about it. The Google vehicle had obviously gone up the street and google maps showed one house that looked more like a motel rather than a house.

Stonewall Place in Huntsbury – This name continues the theme of naming streets in the subdivision after English villages and localities. Named in 1998.

A small amount of information from the library website. I couldn’t find anywhere in the world called Stonewall and certainly nowhere in England with that name. My first thought when I walked the street was the Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. Most entries if you google Stonewall are for the Stonewall Riots. Great views from here and I ended up talking to someone who was gardening at a house. The house was unusual looking and I am not sure if I liked it or not. They used to have great views but a two story house is being built in front of it and they will lose their great views. Most houses were built in 2000 and are huge.

Runswick Lane in Huntsbury and there wasn’t any information on the library website about this street. It was probably named after Runswick Bay in England in keeping with the theme of naming the streets in the area after places in England. After googling Runswick Bay I have now added it to my must visit list. I didn’t actually walk this street as it just looked like a driveway to a couple of houses. There were actually 10 houses here and most were built in 2000. I am going to have to go back and walk it as after checking google maps there are a couple of fantastic looking houses on this street. Sadly well beyond my budget but one house really appealed to me as it was so different and quirky looking.

Roystone Way in Huntsbury and there wasn’t anything on the library website about the street. It was possibly named after Royston in England to keep up the theme of naming streets in the area after places in England. Only 15 houses here and they were built between 2000 and 2019. Great views over Christchurch and to the mountains. I quite liked this street and what intrigued me the most was the garage with a garden on top of it. I don’t usually like modern houses but most of them on this street were OK. There were road signs about no cars allowed on the street between certain hours unless you were a resident or a bona fide visitor. I now wish that I had taken a photo of the sign. Found a council report from 2017 where the residents of this street and a nearby street requested night time restrictions on vehicles. There was apparently a huge problem with anti social behaviour such as loud music, cars doing burnouts and intimidating behaviour. Rubbish being thrown onto properties and trespass issues.