King Edward Street (Eltham)

Several streets in Eltham have had a change of name. King Edward Street had three names in less than two years.

Originally known as Chapman Road, it was probably named after a settler family in the area. The earthworks to form the road were underway by 1881. This necessitated felling a large matai tree at the intersection with the main road. It’s said that the stump remains in place, buried under the road.

By the 1890s there were several sawmilling operations in the area, clearing the surrounding bush. Transporting logs on the dirt road caused a lot of damage and the road was frequently rendered impassable. After many complaints, 1.3 kilometres of Chapman Road, from the main road intersection, was gravelled in the 1890s.

At the time, Chapman Road wasn’t much longer than the length that had been gravelled. After further survey work, the road was eventually extended in 1894, but northwards, winding up the hill, to connect with Anderson Road and Rawhitiroa Road.

The last reference to Chapman Road was in early 1902. Thereafter, the road was called Rawhitiroa Road, but only for a few months. At an Eltham Borough Council meeting on 16 June 1902, a decision was made that the section of the road, from High Street to the town boundary, would be re-named King Edward Street.

Albert Edward, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, had ascended to the throne the previous year, taking the name Edward VII. He died in 1910, but the street has retained its name to this day.

Despite these changes, a remnant of Chapman Road still exists today as a paper road, outside the town boundary. When the first surveys were done to establish Eltham’s town boundaries, metal pegs were dug into the ground at the four corners. One was placed at the intersection of the main road and what became King Edward Street. It is still there today.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.

Related plans:

Taranaki DP310 Sheet 1 Eltham Village (1890), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki DP398 Sheet 1 King Edward Street (1890), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki DP1061 Sheet 1 King Edward Street (1895), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)