Antonio Street (Stratford)

Most of Stratford’s streets are named after characters from the works of Shakespeare. Antonio Street also acknowledges, in a small way, the name of the prominent citizen who once owned land in the area.

Florence Anthony Tyrer was the headmaster of Stratford’s primary and high schools for a period of thirty years from the early 1890s. He was highly regarded in the community, seen as a good influence on the young people of the town.

As well as his successful teaching career, Tyrer also carefully invested his money.  He owned a block of land at the intersection of Regan and Cordelia Streets. In 1900 he commissioned a survey to sub-divide the area. A short no-exit street was formed off Cordelia Street and he sold sections for housing.

Antonio was the main character in Shakespeare’s play, ‘The Merchant of Venice’. In English the name translates to Anthony, F. A. Tyrer’s middle name.

Tyrer retired from teaching in 1921. A large farewell function was held in the Stratford Town Hall. He continued to live in Stratford, but didn’t get to enjoy a long retirement. He died in 1926, aged 65.

In the late 1950s Antonio Street was extended through to Swansea Road. Where this extension began can be seen today in the different style of houses in the street.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.