Webster Street

William Dawson Webster was born at sea. He arrived in New Plymouth with his family on board the Amelia Thompson in 1841. His father James was appointed New Plymouth’s first postmaster, and was also sub-collector of customs for the new town.

His early interest in shipping is apparent from the journal he kept in 1858 when he accompanied Captain Champion to Sydney on the Sea Gull. After having served in the Taranaki Rifle Volunteers, he and his brother Frederick established the firm Webster Bros in 1861, starting as commission agents and general merchants. They allied with local entrepreneur William Hulke in the construction of the Egmont Flour Mill in 1870.

The brothers dissolved their partnership in 1888, and William began business as a shipping agent. In October the brothers brought a court action against local butcher James Rossiter, who had leased some ten acres of the Dartmoor Estate from their uncle Edward Dorset. After Edward died, the brothers took steps to recover the land and unpaid rent. The Websters won the case.

From about 1906 William planned to subdivide the estate. The sale of sections at Dartmoor was promoted with the prospect of the increasing value of all suburban sites in New Plymouth due to the near completion of the breakwater and the expected calling of ocean steamers at Moturoa. Advertisements extolled the many healthful virtues of the site, which adjoined Elliot Road, these days called Tukapa Street. By the end of 1909 tenders were invited for the formation of roads, and the property was sold by Mr Webster to a Whanganui syndicate.

On 30 April 1923, William Dawson Webster died, aged 83 years, at his residence in Fulford Street, and is buried in Te Hēnui cemetery.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.