SUMMIT ROAD’S NAME DEFENDED

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 16

SUMMIT ROAD’S NAME DEFENDED

A motion to have the Summit road named the H. G. Ell Memorial Highway was defeated at the annual meeting of the Summit Road Scenic Society last evening.

Dr. I. D. Blair said the Progress League was in favour of the Summit road being named the H. G. Ell Memorial Highway as a tribute to the work done’ by Mr Ell. The proposal would not involve any difficulty in management. Mr P. Pascoe said he thought Mr Ell was a wonderful man but he would hate the lovely name “Summit road" changed. To give it a personal name would be disastrous. Dr. M. H. Aiken said he would support Mr Pascoe and he predicted that the oad would always be known as the Summit road. There was already a Memorial avenue in Christchurch and confusion could arise if there was a Memorial drive or highway. “As far as I am concerned there is no greater admirer of Mr H. G. Ell but I think he would have objected strongly to the change, said Mr H. G. Gilpin. “Ell drive wouldn't mean a thing to overseas visitors.” A motion that the Cracroft Hill Reserve be renamed the H. G. Ell Memorial Garden was then passed. The secretary (Mr J. W. Jameson), a grandson of Mr Ell, said that the family felt that if there was to be a further memorial to Mr Ell it should be in the form of trees and shrubs which were one of Mr EU's great interests. Mr Gilpin said the Cracroft reserve was also known as the Takahe Hill Reserve but he did not think it had any l real name. The parks and reserves department of the City Council, had planted more than 3000 trees and shrubs on the reserve and he was hoping for a good ground coverage which could have trails and eventually seats and shelters, said Mr Gilnin. The society agreed to arrange for a meeting with

the Heathcote County Council and the Cashmere Scout Group to discuss a proposed scout den on Cracroft hill which it had previously objected to. The chairman (Mr W. D. Douglas) suggested that the objection be withdrawn and a meeting arranged. He said the site for the den had been partly excavated and it was unlikely that the building would interfere with the skyline or the plane table to be built. Mr R. C. Lamb, reference librarian at Canterbury Public Library, gave an address entitled “Mr H. G. Ell and his Times.” The following officers were elected:— Patron, the Mayor (Mr G. Manning): president, Mr W. D. Douglas: vice-president. Dr. M. H. Aiken; secretary, Mr J. W. Jameson: treasurer, Mr F. Murray; auditor, Mr E. S. Williams: committee, Messrs J. Watling, J. Turner, and P. Pascoe.