NAPIER STREET NAMES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 183, 20 August 1937, Page 3

NAPIER STREET NAMES

Exhibit in Art Gallery Oue of the niosfc interesting exhibits now in the Art Gallery and Museum, at Najiier is a copy of a report prepared hy the late Mr Ali'red Domett, m 1855, on ihe naming of the streets of Napier, and'is addressed to the supermtendent of tlie province. Tho document states: — "The names attaclied to the roads and streets have been given on the priueiple pieviously adoptetl and approved by Your Iionour. The principal lown roads aud streets have been calied by the names most prominent in British Jndian history. As these were soon exhausted I liad recourse to tlie names of some of the niost emineut men in literature and science of our own day. The remaining roads are pruposed to he calied alter the niost celehrated Englisli poets. It is bctter to have pleasing associations with the names of our roads and ruvines, however unworthy they niay seem of such distinguished ones, , than to be constantly reminded of the existeuce of obscure individuals (ruffians, possibly, and runaway convicts) whose names get attached to the places they liappen to be the first to pitch upon, and alrnost render the places themselves distasteiiil, however iavoured by Natuie " As is now well kuown, tho late Mr Domett" s siiggCbtious as to stroet names for Napier were adopted, su that the town is-now dislinguislied hy having the names of mililary, Jiterarv and poetic notabilities perpetuated in its street names-. To continue the sequence by including the names of men more recently distinguished in the same category, it is considered in some quarters would add to ihe uniormity of street t naming, . X . m