Thames (NZ): Then & Now Beach Road

Introduction

      Beach Road, at the Grahamstown end of Thames - a quiet spot, with a narrow road, that has metal parking areas. 

     The south side of Victoria Park is on the western side, along with the Petanque area and Croquet Club. Travel further north and there is an access to the walkway that loops around the coast to the old Burke Street Wharf. On the eastern side you start at Albert Street, to Williamson Street, past A & G Price Foundry to the Burke Street intersect - then the road becomes Tararu Road.

 

Then & Now: 1900s & 2018 Corner of Beach Road and Albert Street.

Beach Road History (From Streets of Thames)

     "Named after the location, originally adjacent to the beach before reclamation was carried out.  

     On the 1868 map there is no Beach Road, although there is an unnamed road (where Brown street meets Cochrane Street and along to Pahau Street). 

     The 1910s Cleave’s map records Beach Road extending to Mary Street as well as a portion of road from Albert Street to Coromandel Street intersect. The road length was changed in 1938, today Beach Road only runs from Burke Street (north) to Albert Street (south)."

1868 map - Beach Road does not exist. The red line marks the location of Beach Road today.

Residents and business along the foreshore gave their address as The Beach.

1910s Map - the 'x's mark the two portions of Beach Road. Coromandel intersect to Albert Street intersect; and Cochrane to Mary Street intersects.

Collage View of Victoria Park south, on Beach Road.

In the 1900s, the view was unobstructed,

 and you could watch the ships arriving at the Burke Street Wharf.

Residents of Beach Road 1870 and 1923

     In the Thames Directory 1870, the road still does not formally exist, however a large group of businesses and residents record their address as "Beach". They included: Joseph Bargrove's Ladies' School, H C Lawlor, Joseph Faltt (carpenter), John McConnell, Charles Toft (store dealer), James Buchanan (stone-cutter), John Taylor (Bay View Timber Yard), William Anderson (architect), John Gwynneth, R N Smith (store dealer), M Rae ( Cornwallis Saw Mills, Miss Shepherd (actress), Richard Dodd's Boarding-house, Henry Phillips (boat builder), Holdship's Timber Yard, Wesleyan Chapel, Thomas Sharp (engineer), S Smale (legal manager), Thomas Keven's Boarding-house, John McColloch, Frederick Smith, Richard Richards, Marine Fmaily Hotel, Native Office (E Puckey), C F Quint, M Browne (coal merchant), Alexander Unthank (coal merchant), B Jones (actor) and George McAnnalley (telegraph linesman).

      In the Cleave's Street Directory 1923 the names recorded in Beach Road are: 

Right side from Haven Street: Thames Railway Station, John Arthur (stationmaster) ... nothing further is recorded until Mary Streets.

     On the left hand side from Haven Street: A & G Price Bulk Store, William Wells (labourer), Charles Fleming (moulder), John Coutts (boilermaker), Arthur Henderson (fitter). 

Burke Street intersect. A & G Price Ltd.  Abraham Street intersect. Rawiri Pearson (carpenter), Wm H Lucas (JP), Mrs Dunbar (Gwendon Boardinghouse), Thomas Dunbar (hairdresser - private residence), John Milner (boilermaker), Thomas McLeay (tailor), 

John Galloway (grocer). 

Williamson Street intersect. John Salmon (SM), Reg Williams (Manager A & G Price), James Parkinson (jeweller), Alf Lomas (carter), Park Hotel (back entrance). 

Albert Street intersects.  Cochrane Street intersects.

Richard Dovell (carrier), Wm Milne (foundry hand), Jas Frogley (store manager), Mrs Margaret Bayldon, Arthur Batchelor (machinist), John Judd (pattern maker). 

Amy Street intersects. Mrs Elizabeth Heard, Miss Alice Wishart, John Wells (labourer), William Skelley (labourer), Duncan McKenzie (bush contractor).

Walters Street intersects.  Mary Streets intersect.

Closing Comments

   Once a thriving street, Beach Road was full of businesses and residents. A popular place to live for those who worked at the foundry as evident in the Cleaves 1923 Street Directory. A busy and noisy place, close to A & G Price, and an area that once boasted a railway track, in the days of the trains being made and refurbished at the nearby foundry.

Take the Challenge

    Wander the streets - stop and imagine how it would have looked one hundred years ago.

CLICK HERE for further Street 'Then & Now" photos.

Thames (NZ): Then & Now views of Jacob's Ladder

View looking west down Jacob's Ladder c1910s.

Where is Jacob's Ladder?
Located between Grey Street and Mount Pleasant Road (previously known as Upper Grey Street). Jacob’s Ladder has been a vital link for Mount Pleasant residents for decades. 

Before the steps

One of the earliest photos of Grey Street was taken c1868, and allows us to view the ‘street’ that is now Jacob’s Ladder. It is evident that people, animals and carts had been negotiating the track, winding back and forth to try and make the journey easier. When the streets of Thames were laid out in 1867, it was envisaged that Grey Street would extend from the flat to the hills in the east. 

 

The 1868 section of Grey Street that lead to Mount Pleasant on the left. 

On the right, the area where the concrete steps are located, surrounded by trees (aka Jacob's Ladder).

Why was the track /steps called Jacob's Ladder?

Jacob’s Ladder is a term that is often used for steep steps in other parts of New Zealand. Even at Thames another reference is found to steps at Tararu. A report on the Tararu Gardens in 1878 mentions, “The zig-zags, Jacob’s Ladder, the pagoda, and the swings, besides the walks by the fountains, were the favourite resorts of pleasure seekers in this cool retreat.”

When was Jacob's Ladder constructed?

By 1884 the residents of Mount Pleasant had made a series of steps on three sides of the hill. 

In 1907 the County Council ruled that horses and cattle could no longer go up or down “Jacob’s Ladder.” This was due to the state of the road “It is over your boot-tops in mud.” Cattle-stops were installed at the steps around the town to prevent this continuing. Also Jacob’s Ladder was re-pegged and re-gravelled.

Over the years the structure of the steps proved a problem against the elements, with dirt and gravel constantly being washed away. An advancement came when Jacobs Ladder and the Edward Street steps were concreted - along with other steps around the town. More on those in another blog!!

When were they painted?
In 2014-15 the steps were given a new lease of life by the pupils of nearby Thames South School. The school has long used the steps as part of their sports programme and a new initiative saw pupils undertake a project in conjunction with TCDC to paint the steps. Today they stand impressively leading to Mount Pleasant and are safer due to the painting and handrail.

Then & Now: 1868 & 2015 View of Jacob's Ladder, Grey Street, Thames

Background: Streets of Thames by A Barker

Thames (NZ): Burke Street Wharf, more Then & Now Views

I never tire of looking at views of Burke Street Wharf aka Thames Wharf or Goods Wharf. The busy times, the people, the boats, the chief port of call for those coming and going from the Thames. A difficult place to visit given the tidal nature of the Firth of Thames, but the length of the wharf meant that sailings were less restricted - though the chances of getting stuck in the mud were never to be overlooked for the larger vessels.

One of my favourite views looking back along the wharf, I had long lost (no doubt on a memory stick somewhere), so I was pleasantly surprised to find a reasonable image in the Waikato University postcard collection of the Coromandel.

Title: Thames, N.Z. Date: Unknown.  Publisher: Frank Duncan & Co. Auckland.

Collection: Waikato Region Postcards 1890 - 1940, Description: Tourist Series No. 180

The Burke Street Wharf 100 years ago 1919
Lets step back one hundred years and see what was happening at Burke Street Wharf.

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The Northern Steamship Company had the 'beloved' paddle steamer Wakatere in service. On Tuesday 26 August the ship left the wharf at 7.15am bound for Auckland. The following day, another voyage left Auckland at 3.30pm.

There were several companies operating services up the Waihou River, it is not clear which wharf was being used - the Burke Street or Shortland. Earlier in the month on 6th August the Thames Star reported that there was a problem between the two wharves and the payment of berthages. People were reminded that the Harbour Master had the right to divert vessels to a different wharf.

On Saturday 16th August the Goods Wharf was extra busy, with large numbers travelling on the "Waka" (Wakatere) to Auckland to watch the rugby. This was an annual event. The boat arrived in Auckland at 1.30pm. 'Trippers' and the Thames Rugby team received a warm welcome as people lined the wharf to greet the Thamesites. Rugby matches were then held at Eden Park, sadly the Thames team was beaten 20 to 11. (Team names on right) The 'trippers' and teams enjoyed their short stay in Auckland despite the result and returned to the Thames Sunday night.  Below is this is the view that greeted the trippers and Thames Rugby Team in 1902.  Similar to what was reported in 1919.

Description 1902: Showing crowds welcoming the Thames football teams on their arrival in Auckland by the P S Wakatere for the annual inter union football match Auckland versus Thames at Potters Paddock, Auckland

Source: Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19000817-2-1

THEN & NOW

Then & Now Views along the Burke Street Wharf.

Source: "Then & Now" booklet by Althea Barker

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Background Reading on the Burke Street Wharf:

Articles in The Treasury Journal by David Wilton

A BRIDGE TOO FAR? PART I

The Burke St. Harbour Project That Bankrupted The Thames Borough.

A BRIDGE TOO FAR? PART II

The Burke St. Harbour Project That Bankrupted The Thames Borough.

**Further Then & Now Views of Thames**

Thames (NZ): Then & Now Collage - Band Rotunda (Victoria Park)

The purpose of these images, like the 'Then & Now' views, are to allow us to see the Thames as our ancestors did. In many cases the views have changed considerably in our lifetime alone, but for other areas the change has been more gradual.

When the Victoria Park was established and the Band Rotunda built in 1902 - the landscape was very different. The water literally cam up and in parts around the railway line on the seaward side of the park. While the view towards the Burke Street Wharf was clear, today completely obstructed by mangroves. The railway lines are long gone, the land to the west reclaimed and now the site of the Thames Croquet Club.

Above: Then & Now combined view, looking North-west from the Albert Street and Beach Road intersect.
Below: Left 2016 and Right c1902