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An early planning map from 1879 shows a very different layout of roads to those we know today.
Adelaide Road, just as it does today, stretches from the Basin Reserve to Wakefield Park.
But modern readers of the old map are surprised to see it drive on right to the coast, then finally terminating to the west of the south end of Brighton Street.
On the same map Derwent Street begins at Wakefield Park and runs down what is now Eden St, terminates at what is now Medway St and begins again to continue its run through to the Esplanade and the sea.
The centre branch road continued to meet The Parade, which is the main route nowadays. It originally ended at the Northern end of the racecourse and was later extended in the way we see today, all the way to Shorland Park. However, once developers moved in to subdivide and form sections, they found the topography and steep terrain too difficult to form Adelaide road from Newtown to the sea.
Ten years later, when a further map was surveyed and prepared, the original surveyed Adelaide road, had been renamed Melbourne. By this time, sections were developed and encroachments extended over the original road route, so Melbourne Road became a mix of road and pathways. Its southern end was at a point about 200 yards north of Bristol St; which was originally surveyed to connect with Brighton.
This too was deemed to be too steep. Melbourne Road nowadays runs continuously from near Bristol north to Dee Street.
Across to the west, Rhine Street was also surveyed back in 1870 to connect with Dargle (much later to become Frobisher Street), then continue in an unbroken line to the Town Belt (Golf Course). It terminated at a line parallel with Dover Street.
Once again, when the area came to be split into sections, the developers found the land too steep to consider a connection to the west.
When the Home of Compassion was built, it encroached over the 1870 survey line of Rhine Street, so although access from one end of Rhine Street to the other was available, it was only wide enough for pedestrians at that point. Danube Street was formed only to the edge of Rhine, not connecting to it, and Murray connected to Rhine as it does now. Rhine, in its quaint system of pathways and roads, extends from its present route, up the hills to join with with the City to Sea Walkway.
By 1910 the northern part of Derwent Street had been renamed Eden Street, as the developers considered Derwent too extreme in length. The dividing line was Cornwall Street, which was renamed in August 1906 to Medway, in order to avoid confusion with Cornwall St in Lower Hutt.
Minor streets were later formed as development of residential and commercial sections grew. Once Adelaide/The Parade was designated the main arterial route, there was no longer the need for any additional through roads.
Further north in Berhampore, Britomart was surveyed originally to join with Herald which was to run unbroken to Russell Terrace, Lavaud Street was also surveyed to join with Adelaide Road.
In January 1917 construction commenced for an access way from the beach to the level of Melbourne Road at the top of the cliffs though this was also abandoned owing to the topography. At this time, Queens Drive began/ended from the southern end of Brighton Street.
The legacy is a long history of confused visitors, posties, couriers, police, fire fighters and taxi drivers looking for addresses. It’s a part of our area’s charm!
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