Description

Name: Campbell

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The origin of the name, Campbell, is unknown. The street went through in two sections at the same time as Bourke Street, 1875. There is speculation that Campbell may have been a partner of Bourke, a roading contractor. This is not yet substantiated.

There was a Wellington based partnership, Messrs. Alexander Campbell and Daniel Burke, builders, joiners and contractors who worked around the lower North Island from the early 1900s. However, the timing does not match.

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

History

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The Cuba Street end of Campbell Street, section 304 (a third of the street) was put through in 1875. The Featherston Street end, section 299, followed in 1890. Both sections appear to have been purchased by Arthur William Follett Halcombe, an early settler of Feilding. By 1877-78 John James Waldegrave owned one property on section 299, while there were seven houses and a stable on the Cuba Street end. By 1883-84 the Featherston Street end, section 299, was owned by Benjamin Manson.

October 23, 1880, a special meeting of the Palmerston Borough Council was held to consider reports from the Reserves Committee and sub-committee. The latter presented a “Report of the Division of the Town.” This was a recommendation of general allocation of costs for street clearing and formation, based on the town map.

Councillor Coleman said he would have preferred a breakdown by street in which outlay was expected. His Worship, Mayor James Linton, could not see the necessity, as per the report all the town streets would either be cleared or formed. Councillor Coleman pointed out that there may be streets the sub-committee members were unaware of – Bourke and Campbell Streets for example. The sub-committee affirmed it was unaware of Bourke Street and hadn’t counted Campbell Street, a private street on a piece of land cut up by Mr Halcombe, leading to a large paddock. Councillor Coleman asserted that the latter was on the map and residents on both contributed revenue to the town.

There was discussion around the concern that if the council were to take over and spend money on private streets, they would be springing up all over the place. Councillor Ferguson stated that if Campbell Street was on the map as a public street, then its development was in fact covered by the report. If not, the Council would not be justified in spending money on the street. The report was received and adopted.

Early residents, business, organisations and clubs included

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For a comprehensive history of the street's development, businesses, and who lived there, plus the Community Housing Improvement Scheme of the early 1980s, take a look at the lecture notes of Brian Mather and supplementary material from the Palmerston North Historical Society, circa. 2006.

The notes include a history of Campbell Street School, 1890-1922.

The Church of Christ was first established in Palmerston North in 1905. Meetings were originally held in private residences. In 1913, they established a central meeting place at 100 Campbell Street. Congregation members commenced work on the site of a new church in Botanical Road in 1959.

The former Church of Christ became home to the Savage Club. Beginning as a London gentlemen’s club in 1857, the Savage Club spread throughout the colonies. The Manawatū chapter was founded in 1908 as a literary society and entertainment club. In 2020, it was rebranded as OnStage Manawatū.

Renumbering

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The addresses on Campbell Street were renumbered between 1936 and 1939. See p.45 and p.46 of the Rates Register of Street Numbers - Old and New.

Identification

Object type

Map

Content type

Map/Plan

Date

1923

Digitisation ID

2024M_IMCA-DigitalArchive_042489

Format

Born Digital