Description

Name: Oakley

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Oakley Street is named in honour of Mrs Sarah Oakley (1854-1938), nee Hanlon, one of the town's earliest residents and land owners.

The map is a derivative of this Palmerston North Borough map from 1923.

Mrs S Oakley's parents, Sarah and John Hanlon, emigrated from Warwickshire, England in 1874 with their children Caroline, Sarah (then around 20 years old), Lawrence, Agnes and William; on the ship Euterpe. Mr John Hanlon is listed as a mason on the passenger list. The family settled in Terrace End Palmerston North and Mr Hanlon took up work as a builder and mason.

Here their daughter, Miss Sarah Hanlon, met Mr Frederick Oakley, one of the first carpenters in Palmerston North. Mr F Oakley was born May 6 1846, in Walsall, England. He arrived in New Zealand with his parents in 1857 aboard the Indian Queen. He apprenticed into the building trade in Wellington, working for Mr Lockie. After seven years’ experience he went to Foxton and built the first post office with Mr John Edmund Perrin. On moving to Palmerston North in May of 1871, he and Mr JE Perrin built the first store in the township – belonging to Mr George Mathew Snelson.

Later they partnered with undertaker Mr Meyrick. Advertising as carpenters, builders and undertakers, the firm Meyrick, Perrin and Oakley built most of the early houses in Palmerston North.

A letter Mr J Hanlon wrote to the Manawatū Times was referenced January 6th 1877:

“… his daughter laid the “foundation brick” of the first brick cottage ever erected in Palmerston, on 28th December last.”

Mr Hanlon didn't actually specify which daughter.

Miss S Hanlon married Mr F Oakley on the 13th of June 1877, at Saint Patrick’s Church. In doing so they joined two of the earliest building families in Palmerston North.

The Oakley’s had nine children: Helen Agnes b.1878, Rachel Sarah b.1880, Mary Elizabeth Josephina b.1882, Frederick William John b.1884, Mabel Gertrude b.1886, Harold Sylvester b.1888, Francis Claud b.1891, Joseph Mary Francis Xavier b.1898, and Raymond Reginald Louis b.1895. They were predeceased by their youngest son, Raymond, in 1925.

The couple moved to 169 Church Street (later renumbered 457) in 1904, and remained there the rest of their lives. Mr Oakley died 21st of December 1930, aged 84 years, and Mrs Oakley died 28th of July 1938, also aged 84 years.

History

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Oakley Street, then unnamed, was drawn into James Mitchell’s plan of 1866. It was surveyed all the way through to Cuba Street. However, the location of the Palmerston North Showgrounds, decided in 1886, altered the earlier plan. Once Oakley Street was formed, it ran from Featherston Street and ended a short way into, and adjoining, sections 295 and 296 of the Showgrounds.

Around 1896 the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Association rented land from Mr Christensen on, what was then, allotments 1 and 2 of section 295. This property, described as a sort of island territory in the A&P grounds, was successfully claimed by Mrs Catherine C Peters. The Supreme Court allowed that she was the widow of the original grantee, Mr Carl Peters. She was an absentee owner and the land was used intermittently for grazing. The A&P repeatedly tried to purchase or lease the land from Mrs Peters.

In 1920 the government authorised taking possession of the land for public purposes, under the Public Works Amendment Act, 1910, and clause 50 of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 1919. As a result, the A&P publicly gazetted their intention to acquire the land and made payment based on government valuation. In 1922 this move was nationally criticised and became known as the "Peters Case" when Mrs Peter's son protested the actions – over twelve months after the fact. A detailed overview was provided in the Dominion, volume 16, issue 62, 6 December 1922, page 7.

The sale was finalised in April of 1921 and the A&P asked the council to close that portion of Oakley Street – 800 links lots 2, 3, 4 and 5 of section 295 southwest Oakley, and 100 links on the northwest. A meeting of local electors was called to make the decision in March of 1922. The citizens voted in favour of increasing the A&P grounds via this method. A special order was passed by the council in April 1922 and that portion of Oakley Street was closed. By 1929 a cattle pavilion had been erected there.

Early residents included

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Mr Herbert Rowlands lived in Palmerston North for many years. He died at his Oakley Street residence in September of 1911. His brother, Mr David Rowlands, was an old settler of Tiakitahuna (also known as Jackey Town).

Early business, organisations and clubs included

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Oakley was predominantly a residential street with some small businesses operating from homes. Mrs Leigh of 4 Oakley Street sold dairy livestock, for example, or Mr J Hansen of 12 Oakley Street sold gravel. There was also a poultry farm at 6 Oakley Street.

There was a steady trade in the let and sale of property and renting of rooms. In 1905, Mr Ludolph Georg West designed two cottages for Mrs McCartney on the street.

Identification

Object type

Map

Content type

Map/Plan

Date

1923

Digitisation ID

2024M_IMCA-DigitalArchive_042771

Format

Born Digital