Down your street

Behind every street name is a story.  Every month we look at some well-known Taranaki streets and the origin of their names.  If you want to know more about a particular street, please email us.

Many thanks to Piper Zimmerman who emailed us and asked about Lemon Street and Kendal Place.

Lemon Street, New Plymouth

Was named after Sir Charles Lemon, Bart., M.P., a director of the Plymouth Company. The Plymouth Company organised the first six ships of emigrants out from Plymouth, England, in 1841-43.

Kendal Place, New Plymouth

Was named in 1967 after a street in Plymouth, England.

(Did you know: until about the 1970s, Council policy was that street names should have some connection to the City of Plymouth in England or be named after areas in the West Country (Devon, Cornwall, Somerset).  This reflected the predominance of early settlers from this region.  Hence, street names such as Doone, Tavistock, and Lynmouth.  Since then developers of subdivisions have been allowed to choose names for streets, with the proviso that they are geographically appropriate and are of a practical length to appear on a road name sign or map.  Since 2000, a new road name policy stipulates that tangata whenua must be taken into consideration.

Kitchener Terrace, New Plymouth

Was named for British Field Marshal Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener. He drowned when the armed cruiser Hampshire, bound for Russia, was torpedoed in June 1916.

Smart Road, Bell Block

James Pickford Smart was a pioneer who came to New Plymouth aboard the Blenheim on 18 November 1842.   He came with his wife Mary and five children. He was a large landowner on this road in the early years.  James Smart is buried in St Mary's churchyard.

Did you know?

Many people have made the climb up Mount Taranaki.

However, did you know that on 16 January 1917, a cat called Ginger became the first feline to climb unaided to the summit?

Ginger accompanied a party of five women, guided by Mr Williams, who took photographs of the top cat and made him up a certificate verifying his ascent.

Read more...

Taranaki Teaser

A prolific Taranaki inventor turned his hand to steam-powered cars, pop-top caravans and milking machines.

Can you name the inventor?

The answer will be revealed in the May Edition of Taranaki Trivia!

Last month's answer: "This Town" by Netherworld Dancing Toys.