Findlay Street

Located on the northern slopes of Mount Moturoa Domain, the residents of Findlay Street enjoy some of the most panoramic views in New Plymouth.

This Port View subdivision was first intended to supply a housing demand that had been anticipated as a consequence of ambitious post war expansion plans for the port. Conceived as long ago as 1919, the plans were then shelved, along with much of the port expansion. When the development eventually started nearly forty years later, the New Plymouth City Council |Te Kaunihera-ā-Rohe o Ngāmotu accepted a suggestion from the developer to use street names from the original subdivision, one of which was Findlay.

The original developer was Robert Scott (Scott Street) and we know Simons Street is named after Thomas Simons. There is not however, any obvious candidate for Findlay Street. It was not a common surname on electoral rolls in early 20th Century Taranaki, yet we have not been able to establish any clear link between any of the listed Findlay's and the other men.

Perhaps it was Robert Charles Findlay, who is listed as a labourer of Carrington Road on the 1906 electoral roll. We do know that at one time Simons owned a sawmill on Carrington Road.  It could be that at some stage Findlay worked with either (or both) Scott and Simons. If it was Robert, then by 1928 he and his wife, Gertrude, had moved south to Canterbury, where he lived for the rest of his life.

In more recent times Findlay Street attracted attention for more than its magnificent views. Longtime resident Frank Amor waged a very public dispute with the New Plymouth District Council over the appearance of his shed. After a prolonged court battle, a compromise was reached; a few tins of paint and some hard work by Mr Amor allowed the shed to remain, enabling him to continue to enjoy his spectacular view.

Frank Amor died on 8 February, 2015 - his 'shed' was demolished in May, 2017.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.