More Info →Lombard Street, Name and History

Description

Name: The origin of the name, Lombard, is unknown.

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

History: As one of the city’s oldest, Lombard Street was constructed in two parts. The southern Cuba Street end, D.P.35, section 300, was surveyed in 1875. The northern Featherston Street end, D.P.206, section 303, was surveyed in in 1881. The latter section was owned by Joseph Edward Nathan, of Wellington. Each section was of equal length and the Borough Council commenced subdivision in 1883.

On January 22, 1881, the first official horse race meeting was held. The course ran from Lombard Street, along Featherston Street, through the Showgrounds, and then Cuba Street. At that stage it was all open ground. Boxing Day race meetings had been occurring in the general area since 1871, on barely cleared land.

In 1930, pioneer WM Anderson, wrote a letter to the editor of Manawatū Standard including past reflections of his time as a tenant on Lombard Street, circa. 1883-5. With the street belonging to two parties there was some tension between the subdivisions. A high fence was built, blocking those with houses at the northern end from entering town. As a result, delivery services from butchers, bakers and milkmen, also had to forgo the more direct southern route (from Cuba Street) and access their northern customers via Featherston Street. When a hole was struck through the fence, yet another barrier was raised, a padlocked gate. The padlock was leased to a man who asked sixpence a week from each householder for the privilege of its use. Eventually the fence was cut down on the condition that northern end owners buy a quarter acre section on the southern end as well.

Orange Lodge Trustees (a Protestant organisation) purchased property in Lombard Street in 1883-4. The Orange Hall was constructed and became a meeting hub for many groups, organisations, and clubs thereafter. Here is an image of the Promoters and First Officers of Loyal Orange Lodge No. 65, Star of Freedom. The hall was gutted by a fire in 1915 and rebuilt as the Orange Lodge Hall. In 1931 Orange Lodge temporarily housed 54 students from Central School.

A bowling club was established in Palmerston North in 1890. The Lombard Street site was purchased in 1890 by Mr J Walkley and the green established. Play began the following year and Mr Walkley reigned as club president for 12 years. With the club owning property in Lombard and Taonui Streets. The Taonui Street side was developed into a bowling green from 1907. Combined with Lombard Street it amounted to two full sized greens. By that stage Mr JA Nash, was president of the club. By 1925, due to financial restraints, the Lombard Street frontage was sold and a new pavilion built on the Taonui Street side.

For a comprehensive history of the street's development, businesses, and who lived there, take a look at the lecture notes of Brian Mather and supplementary material from the Palmerston North Historical Society, circa. 2006.

Renumbering: The addresses on Lombard Street were renumbered between 1936 and 1939. See p.85 and p.86 of the Rates Register of Street Numbers - Old and New.

Built Heritage Inventory:

• 32 Lombard Street, 1889-1890.

Identification

Object type

Map

Content type

Map/Plan

Date

1923

Digitisation ID

2024M_IMCA-DigitalArchive_042488

Format

Born Digital