|
Early
Days ... 1840 - 1869
|
| |
Avondale
was known principally as "the Whau" until 1882. This name was used for
an area extending to cover New Lynn, Avondale, Blockhouse Bay, and Waterview
areas, as well as up to Henderson and part of Mt Roskill.
The
area possibly got its current name from the Avondale area in County Wicklow,
near the birthplace of John Bollard, first chairman of the Whau Highway
Board/Avondale Road Board.
|
| 1840s |
A
hunting, fishing and foraging ground for Maori prior to the arrival of European
settler, the Whau was first subdivided in the 1840s. Early settlers included
John Shedden Adam (1843). |
| 1850s |
Around 5 or 6 settler families lived in the area |
| 1853 |
Bridges over Oakley Creek were built at Great North Road
and New North Road. The road from Mt Albert westward is known as The Whau
Highway. |
| 1860 |
The Presbyterian Church at St Georges Rd is completed Easter 1860. Later
called St Ninians from the 1930s.
Development
of Daniel Pollen's brickyard and pottery works near the end of Rosebank
Peninsula, c.1860-1875.
|
| 1861 |
"In 1861 when my grandfather came to Avondale there were of course no
formed roads. The settlers hauled to and fro along clay tracks in tea-tree
covered wilds." [D Ringrose, 1940, Challenge of the Whau, p. 20]
It
was recorded on 20 March 1861 that Mr W Young ran a regular coach omnibus
service, Auckland to Henderson Mill, via the Whau. [M Butler report, Heritage
Planning, Auckland City Council, 2001]
|
| 1863 |
"The first post office (before then, post was handled at a staging post
at the first Whau bridge, pre-1862) was at a store just round the corner
from the present one. It was conducted by Mr Holloway. The first store
and a butcher's shop in conjunction with it was opened on the corner of
Rosebank Road and Princes Street [now Elm St]" ["Events in the Early
History of Avondale", author unknown, from 1920s/early 1930s, Auckland
Public Library]
"The
first hotel - a wooden building - was built in the early sixties at the
corner of Great North Road and Rosebank Roads." ["Events in the Early
History of Avondale", author unknown, from 1920s/early 1930s, Auckland
Public Library]. This was on the south-west corner of Great North and
Rosebank Roads. [Challenge of the Whau, p. 36]
|
| 1864 |
"The first bakery was opened at the corner of Great North Road and the road
leading up past the school [Crayford St]. It was erected, also a shop, about
the year 1864. About the year 1870 these building were destroyed by fire."
[Events in the Early History of Avondale, author unknown, from 1920s/early
1930s, Auckland Public Library] The fire was at Clement Crispe's store,
5 February 1869. |
| 1865 |
"An
estate agent's map of central Auckland about 1865 shows a store situated
on the south-west corner of Elm Street and Rosebank Road. It is believed
that a Mrs Myers was in charge." [Challenge of the Whau, p. 35] |
| 1866-1867 |
"Mail despatched from Whau Bridge weekly" [New Zealand Directory,
1866-67]
Completion
of the Public Hall, St Georges Road, 13 November 1867.
|
| 1868 |
Local
Authority from October: Whau District Highways Board.
|
| 1869 |
"[The
Post Office] was moved [six years after 1863] to a larger store at the
corner of Crayford Street. The mails came from the city by wagonette along
the Great North Road, which was then unmetalled." [Mrs. D M Davy, "The
History of Avondale", Avondale Advance, unknown date]
"The
Morris brothers were operating a store and Post Office on the south-east
corner of Crayford Street and Great North Road in 1872." [Challenge
of the Whau, p. 35]
|
