Cordelia Street (Stratford)

When Stratford was founded in 1878 Charles Whitcombe announced all the streets would be named to reflect the works of William Shakespeare. Part of the original town block, Cordelia Street is named after a character in King Lear.

Later in 1878 the first sections were offered for sale. Stratford’s growth was steady and by the early 1900s houses stood along the eastern side of Cordelia Street. Today the southern end is dominated by Victoria Park. It might not always have been so.

The park was initially Crown land, placed under the control of the Stratford Domain Board in the 1880s. It was named in 1897, commemorating Queen Victoria. About the same time, the government of Richard Seddon began selling land under the Board’s control for housing. However, prominent local businessman Ebenezer Burgess was outraged and his protests forced the abandonment of any further land sales.

The Stratford Borough Council took control of the park in 1922 and allocated £5000 for development work. Money was spent on the lake, gates, pathways and the playing surfaces. That year the Stratford Cricket Club was re-formed and the club wasted no time in utilizing the upgraded facility. Victoria Park has hosted representative cricket matches and has always been one of Taranaki’s most pleasant sports venues.

Today the park faces another threat. The playing surface needs repair work. Let’s hope the present councillors are as farsighted as their predecessors and the sportsground on Cordelia Street doesn’t go the way of Cordelia in King Lear.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.