Plans for the development of this part of Moturoa, close to the port, date back to the 1920s. The new subdivision was to be known as Port View, although that was not a name given to any of the proposed roads.
The subdivision was a result of ambitious expansion plans for the port at the time. However, growth was slower than anticipated and it would be nearly 40 years, in the mid-1950s, before work finally began on the Port View subdivision. Even then, Port View, was not one of the street names selected; rather they were Scott, Findlay and Simons.
The road was finally surveyed in 1962, when it was merely identified as "Future Road". A more detailed survey was carried out in 1964, and this time the name Port View Crescent was used. The name was recommended by the Taranaki Harbours Board, who then owned the land, for the simple reason that the new road looked out over their busy port.
Port View Crescent runs from Centennial Drive to Paritutu Road along the western slopes of Mt Moturoa, now also known as Papawhero. The land on either side of the road stayed in the ownership of the Harbours Board and is now held by the Taranaki Regional Council on 99-year leases, with rent reviews every seven years.
It is a predominantly industrial area, and while development was slow to take off, construction of the New Plymouth Power Station in the early 1970s created a demand for commercial premises.
Although the power station has been decommissioned and mostly demolished, the port ensures a continued demand for industrial property in the local area.
This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.
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