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.
Adam Lile Drive, New Plymouth
Adam Lile was New Plymouth's first ever Rugby League international, being a member of the pioneering "All Golds" New Zealand team to tour England in 1907-08. On his return he was instrumental in founding the Taranaki Rugby League Union.
Brown Road, Bell Block
Named after Captain R. Brown, a merchant of New Plymouth. He arrived in the early days of New Plymouth's settlement, with a cargo of goods to sell. Mr Brown was refused permission to trade by the New Zealand Company, which did all the trading in New Plymouth. So Mr Brown floated his goods ashore in barrels and set up his own business as a merchant. On the outbreak of war, Mr Brown received a comission as captain of the friendly native contingent. On 26 May 1860 he was shot by Maori while crossing the Waiongana River. He managed to ride back to Waitara, but died from his wounds.
Parris Street, Waitara
Named after Robert Parris, who was the Civil Commisioner for Taranaki. He was in charge of Native Affairs and was connected to the conflict at Waitara, which led to the First Taranaki War.
Did you know...?
...If you took a time machine back to the Pliocene period, you would find sharks bigger than buses and birds the size of small aeroplanes.
Fossil expert Joseph McKee has found 3-million-year-old remnants of the giant shark, Carcharodon megalodon, and the bony-tooth bird, Pseudodontornis, among cliffs in south Taranaki.
Read more...
Taranaki Teaser
A Taranaki town was once the venue for "The Greatest Show On Earth!"
Tens of thousands gathered to see huge parades, athletics stars, circus acts, escapologists, food stalls, quick-fire raffles, musicians, and woodchoppers.
The Greatest Show ran from 1952 to 1972.
But can you name the town?
The answer will be revealed in the October edition of Taranaki Trivia!
Last month's answer: The Eltham Town Hall.
Read more...
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