Name: Campbell

Suburb, Palmerston North Central

The origin of the name, Campbell, is unknown. The street is included and named on James Mitchell’s 1866 Plan of Town and Suburban Lots: Township of Palmerston. James Mitchell was the District Surveyor.

The street went through in two sections at the same time as Bourke Street, 1875. There is speculation that Mr Campbell may have been a partner of Mr 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 image is a derivative of this Palmerston North Borough map from 1923 by HR Farquar, Civil Engineer and Licensed Surveyor.

History

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 Mr Arthur William Follett Halcombe, an early settler of Feilding. By 1877-78 Mr 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 Mr 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 AWF 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.

In September of 1900, the drainage scheme extended to Campbell Street. The Sanitary Inspector’s report of 1904 concluded that, of fifty-two homes inspected, many sinks and baths were not trapped and did not discharge over gullies. Between December of 1906 and April of 1907, sewerage pipes were laid. From January of 1907 the Sanitary Inspector encouraged residents to connect with the sewerage system and eliminate cesspits. By October 1908 all premises were connected.

In June of 1905, the footpaths on Campbell street were included in the borough improvements programme. Of particular concern, was the path traversed by Campbell Street School students. Due to high use, it became a muddy track in wet weather. In October 1906, the footpath was formed and kerbed on the westside of the street. Further top-dressing of pathways always took precedence directly in front of the school.

In March of 1925 the borough engineer was asked to inspect and report on the condition of Campbell Street. It was in a state of disrepair, with stagnant water accumulating at the Cuba Street End. There was little metal of the old roadway left. As the street was on a bus route, the engineer recommended that the road be scarified, re-metalled and rolled. The reforming and regrading of Campbell Street was completed in November.

Three years later, in December 1928, the residents petitioned that Campbell Street be treated with bitumen. The road was full of potholes and a challenge to vehicles, including buses. A year earlier the cycle track had been eliminated. The work was carried out late 1929.

In July of 1924, the council purchased the old Campbell Street School site. It was sold to them by the Education Department, who reduced the price from £4000 to £2000, due to its planned use as a playground for future generations. It was a popular move with Campbell Street residents and many congratulated the council. Called the Campbell Street Reserve, the belief was that the area just needed levelling to be fit for play.

In December of 1929, however, the council sold the Campbell Street Reserve site to raise money for borough works. Fierce opposition ensued. Ratepayers had not been consulted and the move contradicted the terms of the original sale. As a result, the sale was cancelled, and the deposit refunded. In April of 1930, residents requested that improvements be made to the site, towards construction of a play area. In June the council provided £50 for laying out the play area.

There was a second proposal to expend £650 as part of a scheme to relieve unemployment. Dispersal of monies was a hot topic among councillors, with many opposing expenditures on a playground over much needed borough works. In June, six unemployed men, of two hundred and thirty on the Palmerston North Unemployment Register, commenced work on the Campbell Street Reserve. By December it was largely cleared and fenced and was used by neighbourhood children as a playground. The following year a part-time caretaker was appointed to look after the Campbell Street play area.

It was also in 1930 that the width of gas mains were increased to improve capacity to cookers and heating units.

In October of 1943 there was discussion on the impact to Campbell Street when the Oroua River was in flood. The following month it was decided that a larger concrete culvert would be constructed to help control surface water.

Early residents, business, organisations and clubs included

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 historian, 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

The addresses on Campbell Street were renumbered in 1937. See p.45 and p.46 of the Rates Register of Street Numbers - Old and New.

Name: Lombard

Suburb, Palmerston North Central

The origin of the name, Lombard, is unknown. The street is included and named on James Mitchell’s 1866 Plan of Town and Suburban Lots: Township of Palmerston. James Mitchell was the District Surveyor.

The image is a derivative of this Palmerston North Borough map from 1923 by HR Farquar, Civil Engineer and Licensed Surveyor.

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 (although there may have been dwellings there as early as 1872). The northern Featherston Street end, D.P.206, section 303, was surveyed in in 1881.

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 bush land.

Section 303 was owned by Mr Joseph Edward Nathan, of Joseph Nathan and Co., owners of the agricultural supply firm that evolved into Glaxo. Sections 300 and 303 were of equal length, and the Borough Council commenced subdivision in 1883.

In 1930, pioneer Mr WM Anderson, wrote a letter to the editor of Manawatū Standard including past reflections of his time as a tenant on Lombard Street, c. 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, 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.

In 1885 Lombard Street was completely formed and metalled. Channels were then made, using a plough and the borough horses. In 1886 a loan was authorised to be raised for the improvement of private streets, Lombard Street being one. Monies were dispersed on a pro rata basis in each ward. Lombard Street was valued at £271.

It was from 1900 to 1910 that the street saw the most progress in a municipal sense. Footpaths were formed, kerbed and gravelled; with regular top-dressing of sand and tar. The drainage scheme was extended to Lombard Street in 1900. Reports of houses with overflowing cesspits in 1904, eventually led to the excavation of sewer pipes in 1906. In 1908, a streetlamp was moved from Featherstone Street (later Featherston Street) to the Lombard Street junction. The following year, residents planted trees along the street.

The next decade was one of up-keep and repairs as required.

In July of 1930, the width of gas mains were increased to improve capacity to cookers and heating units.

Early residents, business, organisations and clubs included

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. Mr JA Nash (here bowling with his wife, Elizabeth), was president of the club from 1910 to 1912. 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 in 1937. See p.159 and p.160 of the Rates Register of Street Numbers - Old and New.

Built Heritage Inventory

• 32 Lombard Street, 1889-1890.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. From 1890, Arbor Day in New Zealand was celebrated in the first week of August. Trees would be planted, usually in schools, public places, official parks and gardens. In 1965, twenty Norfolk pines were planted in Aorangi Street, Feilding, to mark the day. Fifteen have survived to date (2025). Arbor Day changed in 1977 to early June to combine with World Environment Day.

Three medals, Gold, Silver and Bronze, produced for the 1990 Special Olympics held in Palmerston North. The medals were donated to the Palmerston North City Council by the Special Olympics Committee in in gratitude for the council's sponsorship of the event. Each medal features the inscription: "Skill Courage Sharing Joy / New Zealand Special Olympics" (obverse): "National Games" (reverse). 

Bulls bridge collapse in 1973 

Being a College house border I often walked this street 

Palmerston North Boy's High Road Race 

PNBHS College House boarding school students in the library

Keeping the score PNBHS School Sports Day 

Deputy headmaster of Palmerston North Boys High School in 1969

Dr Fred Hirst, Specialist Geriatrician, shares his knowledge and recollections of the Awapuni Hospital, formerly located on Maxwells Line. This talk was captured with the kind support of MPR, Manawatū People's Radio at a 2024 Local History Month event. This event was organised by River Stop Awapuni, in collaboration with Palmerston North City Library, and held at Boho Cafe. 

The Awapuni Hospital 

In 1906, Ellen Wood, former mayoress and wife of PN MP Michael Wood, expressed concern for the welfare of itinerant men in PN. She advocated for the building of an ‘Old Men’s Home’ and fundraised, by annual subscriptions and holding events. 

In May 1910, the local coroner (A.D Thomson) reported  the death of an old former soldier, with his body found in distressing, neglected, rat-infested circumstances, which led to public outrage. Palmerston North Health Board responded by approving the building of AOPH in Aug 1912. It accepted 9 ‘inmates’ in Feb 1915 and was officially opened in April. 

Rural locations of Homes preferred by charities and hospital boards with land available for cultivation and away from ‘corrupt urban influences…which had been their downfall’ ie access to drink. The term ‘Old Men’s Home’ was inclusive with many accepting women. Their isolation meant poor visitor access. In 1910, 81% of those occupying hospital and charitable aid homes were men. These men > 65 were often disabled or even if fit were not employed as they could not compete in the labour market as younger men for the same union fixed wage. Some sought refuge during the winter months. They were ‘out of sight: out of mind’.’ Characters’, ‘poor old chaps’ and ‘old identities’ were often not tolerated in public view with their idiosyncrasies or if drunk so were placed in Homes where they didn’t fit into institutional life with rigid rules either. They tended to lack family ties. 

Photo taken in Featherston Street when work to upgrade the street and install new cycleways was taking place.

The image includes one from the fleet of Palmerston North's new CRRC fully electric buses operated by Horizons Regional Council. You can also see a car window washer at work.

Junior coaching at tennis in the mid-1970s, taking place roughly where the practice wall and run back are now situated. 

Caption on the back:  'The Square, Palmerston Nth from roof of Ross Ltd shop - railway visible running through.'  

Excerpt from Elmer's diary (an Englishman on his big OE in NZ 1935-39): ‘…took coloured snap of square from roof of Ross & Co - meant climbing over wire fence 7' high.’ 

Reliable colour film was not available until the 1930s.  Elmer bought his first film in colour from Horace Hamilton of H.E Perry Ltd in Christchurch and took his first photo of two children on 22 March 1937.  The brand of film was a Dufay which produced six 9 x 6 cm slides that came mounted in 15 x 11 cm black, light cardboard frames.  Elmer commented in a letter, ‘The main drawback is one can’t have prints made and one has to hold the negatives [actually positives] up to the light.’  He goes on to say, ‘As it cost over 1/- [one shilling] per snap, I will not be taking too many.’  (Compare this with one shilling being an average price for a three-course restaurant meal at the time.)  

Most members dressed up, in some cases on partially, in white clothing in deference to Wimbledon standards, which involved taking refreshments later in the day, including Pimms and Strawberries and Cream. Pictured here from left to right are: (Standing): Doug Laherty, Paul Shaw, Valerie Brown, George Clark, Angela Gill, Clyde Brunton, Jill Shirkey. Alan Smeaton and Jeff Hosken. (Front row kneeling): Graham Scott and Matthew Pearce.

Stop the Tour Graffiti in the concrete of a driveway at 38 Cuba Street in Palmerston North. Presumed to be from the 1981 Springbok Tour. 

On the 11th of November 2024, a Hīkoi set off from Cape Reinga toward Parliament. The march was triggered by the introduction of the ACT Party's Treaty Principles Bill which, if passed, would re-interpret Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

On November 16th, the hīkoi was welcomed to Palmerston North with a pōwhiri in Te Marae o Hine the Square. In attendance were representatives of Rangitāne o Manawatū, the Labour and Green parties, local councillors from Palmerston North and Manawatū, as well as members of the public. Te Manawa staff members were also among the crowd, and this image is one of several captured by them on the day.

Ruahine Reserve. 

For more information about the history of the area, see the Back Issues article written by Karla Karaitiana.

Ruahine Reserve. 

For more information about the history of the area, see the Back Issues article written by Karla Karaitiana.

 Hokowhitu Campus Memorial Wall, Ruahine Reserve

For more information about the history of the area, see the Back Issues article written by Karla Karaitiana.

A view of the old Palmerston North police station from the corner of Church Street (east) and Ashley Street in front of St Andrews Church.

Between the end of July into October 2024, some existing structures on the site were cleared off the property by ARC, an asbestos removal and demolition company. Previously and afterwards, the unoccupied property has been used as a commercial parking space for many of the years since the 'new' police station down the road was opened in 2005. Possibly in an effort to keep the building looking less derelict, boards with a similar colour scheme to the exterior walls were installed on the Church Street facing exterior sometime prior to this demolition work.

The building has been classified as a new Zealand Historic Place Category 2 building since 2010.

This is a view of the partial demolition of the buildings on the site of Palmerston North's old police station. Between July/October, some structures were cleared away on the site, including the old wing building behind the front building.

As seen in this view, there was some effort to prevent people (and animals) entering the remaining main building with fences and the boarding of windows on the second floor.

Currently, the site is used as a carparking space.

A view of the Palmerston North old police station garages before their demolition sometime during July-October 2024.

A view of the partial demolition of the Palmerston North old police station taken from Maple Lane. 

Undertaken by ARC, an asbestos removal and demolition company, between July and October 2024, this view shows (through the city's courthouse fence perimeter) the site vacant during the weekend with some of the rubble that was one of the back buildings on the site.

 A view of the partial demolition of the Palmerston North old police station taken from Maple Lane. 

This view shows the site cleared of rubble and machines during a rainy day.

This view, courtesy of Ray Carter's research, shows the old police station in Church Street from behind.

According to Ray: "the above photograph is possibly the only one taken of the rear of the police station soon after it had been completed in 1939. The photo would have been taken above the garage where the only police car was garaged in 1939."

The original photographer who took this image is unknown.

Another view of the old police station site in Palmerston North before its partial demolition.

The structure on the right-hand side of the photo is of the back wing buildings, which are no longer on the site after the July-October partial demolition work that was carried out.

The site was sometime in the 2010's and after that event used as a parking space since its disestablishment as Palmerston North's central police station.

As part of the events of Heritage Month in March, 2025, academics from Auckland University who had been researching the emergency education scheme (that was enacted in Palmerston North during wartime 1942) delivered a talk to share their findings.

On the table are some of the replica items that were made to recreate the methods and items in which schoolchildren during the scheme took part in new learning.

The information for this image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 29th September 1987

"Remember the final days of Meltdown Record's last venue the Commercial? The bop till you drop seemingly endless succession of fine bands that pulled out all the stops to send the venue out in style before the demolition crew moved in? Well this weekend sees the collapse of Meltdown's latest live night-spot (Super Liquor Man) due to high overheads and the apathy of audiences, and a string of bands are booked for both tomorrow and Friday nights to repeat the performance. Tomorrow sees Three Leaning Men take the stage along with The End and Bassett Road Murders. All are becoming seasoned veterans on stages throughout the country so the standard promises to be high. Friday features , along with fast improving Their Boy Elroy and masters of the surreal Harry Death. Pope on a Rope, a new hard core outfit about town will also be playing, as will The Papatoetoe Pop Parcel. With a barren musical landscape looming on the horizon, either night seems a good opportunity to get the place rocking and catch the finest original bands in the city at the moment. Next week we can all go and listen to U2 from the cover bands, try a disco, or sit at home with out stereos. See you in Wellington."