When the town of Eltham was established in 1882, the first task was to clear the bush in the area that was surveyed for the township. It’s thought that Glentworth Street, on the southern fringe of the town, was named after two brothers who lived in the area from those earliest of times.
Relatively little is known about Herbert and Robert Glentworth. We do know Robert farmed on the Eltham Road with his wife Bridget as early as 1884. By 1886, he and Herbert owned land in Eltham.
In 1905 the Borough Council bought land to form a public street, allowing access to a dairy factory. The road was formed but little more was done and, by 1910, Glentworth Street as it was called, was in poor condition. A special loan had to be raised that year to make repairs.
By 1935, Robert and Bridget were living on Conway Road. Robert died in 1937 and Bridget six years later, at the age of 90.
This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.
Related plans:
Taranaki DP1428 Sheet 1 Glentworth Street: ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)
Taranaki DP4285 Sheet 1 Glentworth Street: ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)
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