Cambridge Town
Learn about the history of town and its districts, schools and roads over the years.
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Have you ever wondered what your street’s name means, or whom it was named after? Street names often fall into patterns. They may celebrate a royal connection (Queen Street), note early administrators (Vogel Street), celebrate local landmarks (Lake Street) or mark historic events (Achilles Road). More often than not, streets commemorate people, including famous writers, poets, essayists or dramatists, or local families or developers. Local or national politicians are also common.Find out more about the street names in Cambridge, Leamington and beyond.
Two sources of research available. Ruth Wilkinson's History of Road Names is available as a pdf below. Reproduced by kind permission of the Wilkinson family.Click here for The Streets of Cambridge by Ruth Wilkinson - part 1 (Cambridge)
Click here for The Streets of Cambridge by Ruth Wilkinson - part 2 (Leamington)
Eris Parker, former Cambridge Museum curator, also published research in 1989. This is available below. If you have any further information that can be added to this record please contact the Cambridge Museum.Roads – A, B, C, D
Researched and written by Eris Parker 1989 ASPIN ROAD John Aspin is the name on the farm, on the first known map of the Fencourt district, to which a road had been surveyed. He supplied…
MORERoads – E, F, G
Personally Researched and written by Eris Parker 1989 FENCOURT ROAD (formerly HARBUTTS ROAD) This district was named after ‘Fen Court’, the name Every Maclean gave to his estate. These 7,047 acres were subdivided in 1900. Wilfred Harbutt was…
MORERoads – H, I, J, K
Personally Researched and written by Eris Parker 1989 HAMILTON ROAD Interesting to note that on an early survey map this road was marked Bellair’s Road – after the surveyor. In 1868-70 the road was formed…
MORERoads – L, M, N, O, P
Personally Researched and written by Eris Parker 1989 LANG ROAD This road was known as Lawrence Access Road as a Mr Lawrence had had a run-off property there. The Langs bought their farm c1930 and Russell and…
MORERoads- Q, R, S
Personally Researched and written by Eris Parker 1989 RANSTEAD ROAD William Ranstead and his wife Margaret came to the district in 1903, farming first at Ohaupo then on 600 acres at Matangi. They had five sons…
MORERoads – T, U, V
Researched and written by Eris Parker 1989 TAANE ROAD (DAY ROAD) This road was developed from a track to pa Taane that was lost through fire c1924. Until about 1930 the track was used through the…
MORERoads – W, X, Y, Z
Researched and written by Eris Parker 1989 WATKINS ROAD Matthew Lewis Watkins arrived in New Zealand 1879 from Monmouthshire and became an early settler of Taranaki before moving to the Waikato. With his wife Mary and family…
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