PLACE NAMES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17983, 29 January 1924, Page 2

PLACE NAMES.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —I have been much interested, (as no doubt many others are) in the matter of the origin and significance of tlio local place names, compiled by Canon Nc'vill. The reverendv gentleman is doing a much-needed and very excellent v,-ork in rescuing the history of these names from oblivion before" it is too late. Permit me to ?dd a few from my own personal recollection.

Halkett was, as stated, named after the original owner of the larger portions of the land there about—Captain Halkett, B.NT. I remember as a bov the first meeting of residents held in my father's house, for the purpose of securing the erection of the school. My father was the first chairman of the school committee. I remember quite distinctly the discussion that night as 10 what the new district was to be called, and the final selection (after many other suggestions) of the name "Halkett," not Halkett Town, as given in your notes. I possess the records of the first and several subsequent meetings, and the boundaries of the district as decided upon and afterwards approved by the Provincial Council, and also of the money subscribed by the district as required by the' Government towards the cost of erection of the school. A few other items re place names may be of interest. and value. Xiadbroolcs, next district and railway station to Prebbleton, is named after the brothers (4) Ladbrook, who held the land on both sides of the road at this point. Wm. Ladbrook, the elder brother, occupied the block on part of which the station now stands. My father's farm was next to it.

Broadfields, on the Shand's road, is named after the farm owned by the late Mr Anthony Hodgson, who gave the land on which now stands tlio Methodist Church and the school.

West Melton was the name suggested by the late Mr Henry Trickett, and •was,"l think, the name he had chosen for his farm. Mr Trickett's place was the central point of rendezvous for the district. He had built what was then ,i large house, and church service was held in his roomy kitchen. He also sunk the first well in this locality, and from it all the early residents drew their water supplies, travelling in some cases several miles for it.

Templeton was, in ISG3, known as "Waterlioles," and was so called because of two large waterlioles on the side of the road (the Great South road), where teamsters used to. water their teams, there being no other water, unless at Weedons, until they reached the Selwyn, at- Giffse's. I remember a discussion about the name Templeton being given to this part, and understood it was out of compliment to a Mr Templar, who owned land thereabout.

Passing to another part of the country, with which I first became acquainted in 1887, viz., the Asliburton Plains. I remember that Seafield is named after a farm first held by the late Mr Walter Lawry, of Springston, and now owned by Mr Gregory. Newlands. —This was first christened Cambridge. Why and by whom Ido not know; but it is so named in the "Preacher's Plan" of the Asliburton Methodist Church of that date. It was afterwards changed to Newlands by Mr Edwin Watkins, who. took up a large block of land in the district, and so named his holdings. Seaview is named after the farm of the late Mr Thos. I Walsh, the place now owned by Mr Poster. I was chairman of the school committee, and Mr Walsh was a member of it, when the erection of the school was first mooted, and the name was suggested by Mr "Walsh. Elgin was the name to his farm by Mr Jas. Stanley Bruce, who also at "that time was clerk to the Ashburton Eoad Board, and named one of the roads past his property "Stanley road. Mr Bruce was a Scotsman. Spreadeagle was the name, of an hotel situated at the intersection of a number of roads near where the Asliburton Porks school now stands. The hotel was kept by aMr Tiscli. It was afterwards burned down, and never re-ereeted. —Yours,. etc., _ ■ G. W. LEADLEY.

TO THE F.DIIOE OF "THE PRESS." Sir, In place . names innumerable I see no reference made to Leithfield of historic fame, because for many years it was the head oentre and hotbed of politics, local, provincial, and general. The ballots were made by Mr John Leith who, in 1860, owned a two-room sod whare a palatial hotel named the Alter his own heart and name he surveyed in rough and ready manner the sections or tlie township, leaving reserves for Masonic and other halls, and a couple of church sites. He then spent money in advertisements and people flocked to Leithfield. In 1866 six of Cobb and Co.'s coaches passed to and fro daily, and the teams, guided by bullock punchers from dawn till eve,' transported wool from the stations with rations, tobacco, sheep wash ; and fencing wire for return loads. In a prominent position was erected a wind-power flour mill. Mr Leith left to take command of a Sydney trading vessel, and later he beicame lighthoTise keeper at Manakau, and there wrote pamphlets on why the bulk of the ocean was retained in the Southern Hemisphere and on the Pyramids of Egypt based on aljgebraic calculations. In time a second hotel—"the Crown—appeared, a Post and Telegraph Office, R.M. Court, and police station. Later the Crown did not apply for a license. The Postal and Justice Departments closed down, but there re-, main residents who can recall many a political contest, the races and sports, and the Philharmonic and Dramatic Society entertainments. I think Canon Iveviil should not overlook Leithfield in place names.—Yours, etc., HAS BEEN. TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PBESS." Si, —I am rather late answering J.L.W.'s letter of loth January. J. have been. away on holiday, and just returned. He calls in question eoma of my statements, but he must remember that he was in-"England at the time most of these events happened, concerning the naming of Wood-end. I lived there in 1858, having arrived in September of that year. He did not arrive till early in the sixties. I was on the spot and knew all the facts, and heard the talk'about the name. The matter was settled long before J.L.W. arrived. I might add the Ravenswood Estate came down to the Woodend road at that time. I do not know When Mr Dobson was appointed engineer, but. I know he was acting as such in 1858, when my uncles were mailing the road from Woodend to Rn-ngiora, under his supervision. 1 often saw him and heard him speaking to them about the work. They also j did a great deal of work under him j on the North road from the Stvs to the Weka Pafis. I was a witness of these things before J.L.W. left England. I can endorse all he says about the Rev. John Haven. He was a very fine horseman. Often on Sunday morning, he would ride to Oxford to hold service there, taking' two horses, ride one and lead the other as far as Oust, leave the one he had riden to rest there, and ride the other to Oxford I and back, mount the rested one to ride' homo, in time to conduct the evenin" service at Woodend. The name Gibbs Town got into print, but was not used much and was soon dropped. The large signboard that

Mr Pnnckhurst erected had the name Panckhurst on it, but his house was never called tlio City of Canterbury. The fire in the Maori Bush destroy ."J valuable timber. We had to throw water on the roofs of the houses to ensure their safety.

When tli-c Maori War was pending the Maoris here were very restless. A deputation came down from the 'North Island to persuade them to rise, but they were not numerous enough, and they resolved to live in peace with the white man. I remember one morning going to Kaiapoi with my father. A member of the deputation joined lis and walked to Kaiapoi with us. He was well dressed in a tweed suit, pud lie could sneak good English. He said wo are going to kill all the white people on the North Island, and then we are coming down hero to kill you. My father said, "That is comforting." The deputation was a failure. The chief, Isaiah, was a very fine man, and his influence was always for good. Ho was respected by everyone. His funeral was a very large one. Maoris came from distant parts of the Island; hundreds of people from Kaiapoi and Christchurch * attended, and, brick vault was built for his remains. There-are many other things that came under my notice in those early times, but I think I have written enough for the'present.—Yours, etc., S.A. Rangiora, January 24 th.