Parsons Street

Parsons Street in New Plymouth was once a track that led from Carrington Road to John Parsons' farm. The track was widened, metalled, and declared a street in 1951.

The farm covered 36 acres, being allotment Section 45 of the suburban plan of New Plymouth. Settled on the Wakefield Plan, New Plymouth employed the useful separation of classes, with parts of the settlement designated to accentuate differences in land value. 

Mr. Parsons arrived in New Plymouth on the Timandra on 23 February 1842. Fifteen years later he had improved his allotment with roads, a good house and paddocks divided by fences of furze, now better known as gorse.

From 3 June 1857, a series of advertisements offered the developed farm for sale by private contract. Apparently there were no buyers, because in September 1861 the farm was again presented for sale by auction on behalf of the mortgagee. The Taranaki Herald advertised the "highly cultivated farm" one mile from town. Unfortunately for Parsons, the war in Taranaki made New Plymouth a difficult place to sell a farm.

By January 1862, on instructions from the mortgagee, the farm was again for sale, this time by public auction. The mortgagee was not named. The final advertisement on 29 March was "for peremptory sale" due that day at 3 pm.  The outcome was not reported.

The Government Gazette on 22 October 1884 declared the allocation of a Crown grant for Section 45, Fitzroy District to John Parsons. Crown grants were made to an owner or occupier. 

The grant came too late. John Parsons died 19 May 1871, aged 58 years, and was buried at Te Hēnui cemetery.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.