Peace Avenue

On 11 November 1918 World War One came to an end. On the same day - by then 12 November - in New Plymouth, Sylvia Peace Gilmour was born.

The armistice signed that day between the Allies and Germany in a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiegne, France, brought an end to a bloody four-year conflict.

New Zealand had quickly followed Britain into war in 1914; it was to pay a heavy price. More than 100,000 men went overseas and 17,000 were killed. More than 41,000 were wounded.

Everard and Sylvia Gilmour chose to mark this historic day by giving their daughter a name that would forever be associated with the end of the war and the hope of lasting peace.

The Gilmours had built a house in Moturoa near Breakwater Road in the early 1920s. When a new road was formed leading to their house, it was named Peace Avenue after their only daughter.

Although her first name was Sylvia, according to family members she was always known as Peace. Passionate about the outdoors she climbed Mount Taranaki nine times and also played cricket for Wellington.

She married a local man, Edward John Simmons, on 17 August 1942 and for a second time, in 1950, to Harold Watts Alfred McCarthy and moved to Waiheke Island. She remained there for the rest of her life, passing away in April 2017, aged 99.

Peace's father, Everard Robert Cranston Gilmour became New Plymouth's longest serving mayor and had his own street named after him.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.