More Info →Taonui Street, Name and History

Description

Name: Taonui Street is named from Taonui Swamp. While the literal meaning is "big spear" or "big catch," it is a metaphor for an abundance of food and resources.

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

History: Taonui Street was the first subdivision in the town, with the northern end (Featherston Street end) D.P.1, surveyed in 1872. The owner of this section (301) was WHW Haines. Through an oversight it was not dedicated until 1951. The southern end (Cuba Street end) D.P.16, was surveyed in 1874, being section 302, owner not stated. Taonui Street is one of the first streets to have a continuous row of dwellings. By 1878 there were seven houses at the northern end and six at the southern.

In the early 1880s the area around Taonui Street was known as the 'fashionable quarter' and had the nickname, "New Chum Town." Taonui Street later acquired the name "Soapsuds Alley" because of all the clothslines strung up there.

In 1913 there was talk, initiated by a special committee, of changing the name from Taonui Street to Nelson Street. There was discussion in the Manawatū Standard on preservation of local historial Māori names, versus honouring the overseas hero of Trafalger.

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 Taonui Street were renumbered between 1936 and 1939. See p.83 and p.84 of the Rates Register of Street Numbers - Old and New.

Built Heritage Inventory:

• The Palmerston North Working Men's Club, 1928 - the main entry was on Cuba Street with the lounge bar and some other spaces on Taonui Street. This building later became the Cosmopolitan Club, 95-103 Taonui Street.

Identification

Object type

Map

Content type

Map/Plan

Date

1923

Digitisation ID

2024M_IMCA-DigitalArchive_042457

Format

Born Digital