THAMES STREETS: OLD & NEW

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 

Introduction:

This is to be read in conjunction with the information in the STREETS INDEX table.

The aim to identify and record information on the streets of Thames, particularly to give us an understanding and appreciation for THE THAMES where our ancestors lived.

(Google maps, allow you to “walk” the streets of Thames)

 

Pre-Goldfields:

What were the first streets to exist? “Prior to 1867 the area was Maori owned country covered in the most part with bush and scrub.”(Grainger 1951) There was a missionary station in the Parawai area, who along with the Ngatimaru tribe inhabited the area.

 

The Goldfields era:

From zero settlers to 20,000 in one year, that was the effect of the opening of the goldfields. On July 27 1867 James Mackay (Civil Commissioner for the Hauraki) made an agreement with local Maori to allow mining and Dr Pollen (Deputy-superintendent Auckland Province) immediately issued a proclamation declared the area to be a goldfield (30 July 1867). August 1 1867 James Mackay issued the first Miners right at Shortland leading to the development of Thames. (Grainger 1951) Miners initially lived in tents and makeshift huts, then wooden houses, early photos give little evidence of  roads/streets, just dirt tracks which were notorious to negotiate during wet weather.

 

Borough of Thames:

There were various towns and settlements, such as Grahamstown and Shortland, in 1874 these were united to form the town of Thames, to residents of the time called “the Thames”. (Isdale 1967) There was debate over the boundaries for the town which took several years to resolve. “The boundaries left out inland populated sections of the Moanatairi, Waiotahi and Karaka Valleys, much of Block 27 and all the hilly parts east of Rolleston Street and all Parawai flat or hilly.” (O’Neill 1973) This may well explain the problem with locating streets for several areas, on the old maps of Thames.

 

·        Grahamstown. Shortly after the Goldfields proclamation Grahamstown was leased by Robert Graham, details arranged with Mr Mackay; the proviso being that the Government reserved the right to lay out the streets and approve plans. (Granger 1951) It was soon a thriving town which was connected to Shortland by Pollen Street. On the 17th September 1869, the sale of Graham’s allotments successfully sold; (NZ Map 4498.10),the land of Grahamstown lay between the Karaka and Waiotahi Creeks.(Cyclopedia Vol 2)

 

·        Kauaeranga & Parawai. The Maori residents had been living at the Kauaeranga and had extensive orchards and gardens on the flat area of the new towns of Shortland and Grahamstown.  (Eldred-Grigg 2008) None of the pre 1900 maps I have looked at to date, have included street names for The Kauaeranga and Parawai areas. An 1884 survey map of Block VII, Thames SD; has a few unnamed streets going off what is today Parawai Road. Pre 1900 Street Directories do indicate the addresses: Mount Sea Road, Parawai and Kauaeranga.

 

 

·        Shortland. The flat area of Thames was described as swampy but planted with groves of Peach trees. When all the new settlers arrived, the trees were cut down and dikes built; before the streets and new houses could be built. “Shortland was laid out as a standard grid by the colonial state.” (Eldred-Grigg 2008) Mackay laid out the lines of Shortland one week after the goldfield opened, “Named after Willoughby Shortland, also the name taken by W H Taipari, transliterated as Wirope Hotereni” (Monin 2001)

 

·        Tararu. Robert Graham, developer of Grahamstown also owned Tararu and drew up plans for the township.(NZ Map 4498.11) Many of the streets were never developed. Details of these are in the Streets Index. They were named after members of Graham’s family, there were several small streets with names of trees, to which were planted the appropriate tree. When the first Thames race meeting was held on the flat August 1868, there were only two buildings in the area; the Royal Oak and Graham’s Hotel, (around old District Homes area).(Williams 1987)

 

 

·        Tookeys Flat Most early maps do not appear to note this area, which was established prior to Grahamstown, it was located “at the mouth of the Kuranui had already established itself as a mining area with its own housing.” (Monin 2001) The Streets/tracks here were no better than other parts of Thames as told by Rev Lush in his early years at Thames, “I went up Tookey’s Hill and the mud was so deep and my leg went in so far that it was impossible for me to get out,” he had to wait patiently till a miner came to help him. (Drummond 1975)

 

Miscellaneous Streets & Addresses:

When looking at the pre 1900 Street Directories there are many addresses given that do not feature on the maps of the time. Many of these were just outside the township boundaries as we know them today, while others were associated with the mine or stream that they were nearest to. Some examples are: Alabama Creek, Bulls Lane, Collarbone Creek, Waterfall Creek, Bird-in-hand hill, Eureka Hill, Golden Age Hill, Hand & Band Hill, Tookeys Hill, Madmans Gully and Punga Flat. The 1875 Directory has may of these examples yet to be definitely identified, such as Youngs Alley (?location). Most of these examples can be readily be found on the goldmine location maps of the Thames area.

 

New Streets & Subdivisions:

Thames has gone through renewed periods of growth over the years and often struggled to find areas for developments and new streets; which led to many of the bigger sections in town being subdivided. The Parawai area has expanded several times, with new sections developed where farmland once stood in the Grafton Road area and south to the Kauaeranga. Later The BOOMS subdivision completed its 1stsubdivision in 1992 and at Totara, the Totara Palms 1st stage was completed in 2000, on what was Crawford’s farm. Land was also reclaimed over the years along the foreshore; the streets of Moanatairi and the newer Richmond Park housing areas are in place as a result of these initiatives.

 

 

 

REFERENCES:

 

“1873 – 1973 Thames Borough Centenary” Edited by L P O’Neill. 1973 Thames Star Offices

 

Auckland Libraries online Heritage Photo Collection:

http://0-www.aucklandcity.govt.nz.www.elgar.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/heritageimages/apphoto.htm

 

“Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Auckland Vol 2” Colonial CD Books.  http://www.colonialcdbooks.com

 

“Diggers Hatters & Whores. The Story of the New Zealand Gold Rushes” by Stevan Eldred-Grigg. 2008 Random House New Zealand

 

“Hauraki Contested 1769 – 1875” by Paul Monin, Bridget Williams Books 2001

 

“History of The River Thames NZ” by A M Isdale. 1967 A M Isdale Publishing

 

National Library, Timeframes Photo Online Collection:

http://timeframes.natlib.govt.nz/logicrouter/servlet/LogicRouter?OUTPUTXSL=home.xsl&hier=h1&tree=c&api_1=PUB_DISP_COLL&hier=builder&tree=c&api_2=GET_SEARCH_PARM&hier=h1&tree=o&api_3=PUB_DISP_COLL&hier=builder&tree=o&ds_svAPI_searchparm=4&api_4=GET_SEARCH_PARM&ds_svAPI_sortoptions=5&api_5=GET_USER_SORT_OPTIONS

 

NZ MAP 4498.10 Plan of  Grahamstown, The Property of R Graham Esq” 1869

Maps available from Auckland Libraries: Map collection (enter map number, view thumbnail, then click on large view for full detail) at:

http://0-www.aucklandcity.govt.nz.www.elgar.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/maps/mapsadv.html

 

NZ MAP 4498.11 Plan of Township of Tararu, The Property of R Graham Esq” ?1869

Maps available from Auckland Libraries: Map collection (enter map number, view thumbnail, then click on large view for full detail) at:

http://0-www.aucklandcity.govt.nz.www.elgar.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/maps/mapsadv.html

 

“Racing for Gold” by Johnny Williams. 1987 Williams Publishers

 

“The Amazing Thames. The story of the town and the famous Goldfield from which it grew” by J Grainger. 1951 Reed Publishing

 

“The Thames Journals of Vicesimus Lush 1868-82” Edited by Alison Drummond. 1975 Pegasus Publishing