Burton Street sign (2020). Mike Gooch. Word on the Street image collection.
Burton Street sign (2020). Mike Gooch. Word on the Street image collection.
This short cul-de-sac, located in the Waiwhakaiho Valley, was first surveyed in 1922. The twelve residential sections were part of a development proposed by the owner of the land, New Plymouth lawyer, Robert Clinton Hughes.
Up until now, there was no record of the origin of the street name. However, our research suggests that it was probably the choice of the land owner.
On 1 December 1898, Robert Clinton Hughes, then aged 50, married Amy Grace Burton, 23 years his junior. The marriage took place in her home town of Dunedin, at her parent's residence in Alva St. Amy was the eldest daughter of local businessman, Thomas Burton.
A lengthy report of the event was published in the Otago Witness the following week. The conscientious reporter described the outfits of all the women and the presents, described as "generous and costly", were listed individually.
We assume therefore that Mr Hughes chose the name as a tribute to his wife's southern family. He died in 1935 and his wife in 1948. Her brief obituary in the local newspaper reported that she was a gifted musician and a passionate supporter of the arts in general.
An aerial photograph taken in 1950 shows the street lined with residential houses. While a few homes have resisted the industrialisation of the Waiwhakaiho Valley, the street is now largely dominated by commercial premises.
This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.
Related plan:
Burton Street (1922) DP4250, ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)
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