Opoho – ‘Here my head is level with hills and sky’ – (Janet Frame)
[These historical notes were prepared by Ross for our wanderings around Opoho on 1 June 2022 on a tour led by Neil and Margreet Simpson and Wyn and Ross Davies. Only parts of it were recounted as we zoomed around, and some asked for a chance to read a bit more about what was talked about. What follows is the whole lot.]
Name of Opoho
Maori have been present in the area for 800-900 years. Two groups of Maori ovens have been found on the contours of the hill, said to have been used by people of the Ngatiwairua.
Poho is said to have been a Ngatiwairua chief in the 1700s, head of a family occupying a small kaika (village) by the outlet of the stream which flows down the hill into what was once Pelichet Bay (now Logan Park). O-poho simply means ‘Poho’s place’ and it came to be applied to the neighbouring stream – Opoho Creek.
Later it was adopted by one of the early English landowners for a subdivision on the middle slopes beside where the stream flowed (the Logan Park side), and gradually the name became applied to the whole suburb (on both sides of the ridge).
Opoho Odyssey Part 1 – Botanic Gardens Top Car Park to Knox College
Lovelock Avenue
Formerly Cemetery Road because of the Northern Cemetery halfway down. Renamed Lovelock Avenue in 1968, after Jack Lovelock who lived in Opoho while studying medicine at Otago University. It was the street he ran down every day going to university. Jack Lovelock kept running, and broke the world record for the mile in 1933. He went on to win the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 (the first Kiwi to win an Olympic track event).
Signal Hill Road
The most enduring street name in Opoho is Signal Hill Road. It appears on all the maps. The top of Signal Hill provides a good view of the harbour and may have given the Maori a place to watch for hostile war canoes and signal from. With European settlement, the same hill was used to signal immigrant ships and perhaps to announce their approach to Dunedin residents. It remains one of the best-known landmarks in Dunedin.
Opoho Road and Trams
The original Opoho subdivision, called Estate of Opoho, to form Opoho Township was created by Captain Boyd in 1873. We’re going to wander some of the streets of this Opoho Township this morning, making our way down to Knox College for a tour at 11am. Opoho Road was the southern boundary of the Opoho Township, originally called District Road. It was the first access to the suburb from the Gardens although there was also a road to Dundas Street down Lovelock Avenue. Opoho Road was too steep where it meets Signal Hill Road for the trams, so a new loop was created through part of the Upper Gardens where the road now goes. It was the steepest line attempted by electric trams. The terminus was at the corner of Signal Hill Road and Blacks Road, and that was steep too. At least two trams ran away from the terminus when the brakes failed – with serious consequences. The tramline opened in 1924.
Warden Street
Warden Street was the eastern (or top) edge of the original Opoho subdivision of Captain Boyd in 1873. Originally it was called Wain Street after Job Wain who we will come to in a few minutes. But because his name was also given to a street in Caversham, in the general city renaming of 1911 the name was changed to Warden Street, after Warden Wilson, son of Councillor Wilson of the North-east Valley Borough. No offence to Warden, but that sounds like a very unimaginative piece of street naming.
2 Warden Street
From 1888 was the home of dairyman Henry Evans. Entrance to his dairy was opposite the Scout Hall. He would often herd his cows up Warden Street to Blacks Paddock where the school is now, at the top of the street.
Torridon Street
Named after a sea-loch in Scotland. It now leads to the SPCA. Originally it led to the home of Captain Boyd. The home and 20ha of land were bought by Job Wain in 1877. (Job Wain established Wains Hotel in 1866, the best in Dunedin when built.) He retired to his substantial property here in 1889. His homestead stood amidst bush clad land stretching almost the entire length of Warden Street up to Blacks Road, down to Opoho Creek. The property was later bought by the SPCA in 1946.
Tannoch Glen
In 1972 two founding members of the Dunedin Rhododendron Group Bruce Campbell and Ralph Markby got the SPCA to agree to the use of 1.6ha of its land at the end of Torridon St to establish a woodland garden containing a selected range of rhododendrons, particularly the ones that do so well in Dunedin. Over 15 years, 600 rhododendrons were planted, as well as magnolias and camelias. (Bruce Campbell and Ralph Markby were also enthusiastic members of the Otago Tramping Club, now the OTMC.) Tannoch Glen is named in honour of the former superintendent of the Botanic Gardens David Tannoch, who initiated the initial planting of rhododendrons in the Botanic Gardens from 1914, along with a lot else.
38 Warden Street
The home of Jack Lovelock during his university career. His widowed mother from Temuka bought the section in July 1927 and the house was finished in December 1927 for her and her three children. She left Dunedin after Jack had completed his medical studies and gone to Oxford. In 1980 the Historic Places Trust marked the house with an inscription ‘From 1928, during his student years, this was the family home of Dr John Edward Lovelock (1910-1949), champion Olympic athlete’.
42 Warden Street
Walter Sinton, Jack Lovelock’s close friend in Dunedin lived here for many years. It was Walter who persuaded the DCC to rename Lovelock Avenue, with a plaque at the bottom end of the Avenue. Walter was one of Dunedin’s best-known musicians – an expert xylophonist, a broadcaster for over 50 years, managing director of Beggs Music Centre, and touring manager and compere of the National Band, as well as an able sportsman in his youth himself.
Farquharson Street
Named after James Farquharson, one of the original farmers further up Signal Hill Road.
15 Farquharson Street
Was the home of Norman Hurring who headed a notable sporting family; Cedric a medalist in the NZ rowing fours and Lincoln, NZ swimming titleholder and husband of famous backstroker Jean Stewart (bronze medal in 1952 Olympics and NZ’s only woman swimming medalist to date) and father of Gary Hurring, swimming Gold medalist at 1978 Commonwealth Games.
11 Farquharson Street
From 1960 to 1971 the home of Professor and Sir Lloyd Geering. He graduated from Otago University, then began religious studies at Knox College in 1940. He was parish minister at Opoho Church 1945 to 1950, and later Professor of Old Testament Studies and then Principal of Knox College. His books including one which questioned the truth of the resurrection of Jesus; triggering a stormy debate within the Presbyterian Church in the 1960s which led to him being accused of heresy and tried by the church court. He was found not guilty so we never found out what the punishment would have been. In 2007 he was awarded NZ Order of Merit, NZs highest honour. Two years later he was given the title of ‘Sir’. He is still alive, at 104 years old, living at Petone. He is still as insightful and forthright in his views, just last year saying ‘climate-change deniers have their heads in the sand’.
Opoho Presbyterian Church
The Presbyterian Church is the only church in Opoho and the church and hall have been the centre for many suburb activities. Originally a wooden church was built on this site in 1892 which first was a branch of the Hanover St Baptist Church. The building was bought by the Presbyterians in 1909. In 1936 the present stone building was built. The current church hall was added in 1957. Opoho became a popular residential area for staff and students from Knox College and many have worshipped and preached at the church.
46 Signal Hill Road
The shop on the corner was built on the site of Opoho’s only hotel, which occupied a wider frontage on Signal Hill Road. The hotel opened in 1883, the licence was given up and the hotel was closed in 1886, and it burnt down shortly afterwards. Apparently it was popular with Ravensbourne people, who came over the hill to get there. The shop was built in 1890 and bought by a widow Mrs Theresa Hubble. At the back of the property she had a stable for her cream pony and gig which she drove to town to collect provisions for her store.
This shop, plus several other stores nearby, plus other commercial premises, and the church, all made this the centre of the Opoho community.
41 Signal Hill Road
A commercial building was built here in 1884 where Thomas Anderson operated a bootmaker’s business until 1932. New owners converted it into a dairy and extended the living quarters. In 1957 John Simpson (Neil’s Dad) took over the building, using the shop for his plumbing business and letting the living quarters as a flat. Eventually he demolished the old building and built his own retirement home on the same site.
34 Signal Hill Road
Ross lived here for a year in the 1970s in a former ‘house’, when the land value was $9,000 and the house value was $300! He remembers the floor that bounced, cooking on the coal range, the orchard out the back, and the hill starts at the top of Opoho Road. He planted a tray of marigolds that plagued subsequent owners.
17 Signal Hill Road
Property of well-known Opoho resident ‘Granny’ Chisholm aka Marion Chisholm. She emigrated from Scotland in 1875 with her husband William and they bought the property in 1877, part of the first subdivision. William died only 2 years later. Her two older children Daniel and Marjory helped her pay off the mortgage on what must have been several sections. She gave each of them a section and kept the original house section and brought up her three younger sons. She died at the age of 98. Described as “forthright and blunt in manner but kind in heart, was both widely liked and deeply respected for her courage during her long widowhood, and always ready to listen with patience and understanding to people’s problems’.
Balmoral Street
Was first named Marion Street after John and Marjory Evans’ daughter but renamed Balmoral Street after North-East Valley joined Dunedin City.
11 Balmoral Street
An earlier house was the home of George Samuel Thompson, accountant and well-known controversialist (‘one who likes to be involved in controversies’ – perhaps an early version of an internet troll?)
However it’s the original occupants of the property who are more relevant. They were John Evans and his new wife Marjory, daughter of ‘Granny’ Chisholm who we met just around the corner at No. 17, and who gave Marjory the section which must have been just over the fence. John Evans was a true son of Opoho. He was born in 1862, it is said, in a tent on what is now the Alhambra sports ground. He became a trained bootmaker and upholsterer, and a Councillor and then a well-respected Mayor of the North-East Valley Borough. Their great-grandson is Neil Simpson.
Evans Street
Named after John Evans who we met just now in Balmoral Street. Further up Evans Street is No. 61 where Janet Frame lived for a few years after her year as Burns Fellow at the Otago University in 1965. In ‘At Evans St.’ she wrote ‘… here my head is level with hills and sky’.
The Zig-Zag
The trees planted around the zig-zag path down to Chambers Street are the result of the foresight of the Headmaster of North-East Valley School from 1936-49. He promoted an interest in trees amongst his pupils and was responsible for the plantings at this reserve. Each school House was made responsible for providing one tree and so another peaceful spot grew.
Knox College
Knox College is not strictly within the Opoho suburb. But the strong Presbyterian and residential connections means it is intertwined with Opoho. Countless staff and students have lived in Opoho over the almost 150 years of the college’s existence. The hall was established in 1876 with Rev William Sommerville the first professor and two students. Students were drawn from all over NZ and much more extensive facilities were needed by 1900. A new block was opened in 1909, having been designed by Dr William Sommerville’s son. The hall of residence had rooms for 153 male students and in 1971 Salmond Hall opened, mainly to house women students. Eventually these were desegregated.
Opoho Odyssey Part 2 – Up the Steps to the top of Opoho and back down to the Botanic Gardens
After lunch we’ll proceed along Arden Street behind Knox College and up the steps to upper Arden Street, past the top of Glendening Street, and along the lane to the top of Chalmers Street.
Then down Chalmers St to the steps to Taine Street. Then a very short way up Taine St and up the lane and steps to Montrose Street and around the corner and along Maybank Street. At this point, we’re back up to the edge of Opoho. Arden Street is also sort of the borderline between North-East Valley and Opoho, but Maybank Street in particular is a more natural part of Opoho with streets linking up directly.
The land along here was originally owned by the Black family who named their new property ‘May Bank’ after their family home in Scotland. They opened their Maybank subdivision for sale in1875, two years after Captain Boyd’s Opoho Township. Maybank Township was much smaller, essentially Evans St and Signal Hill Road north of Blacks Road.
From here we’ll descend Blacks Road back into North-East Valley, head along Grey Street and then down James Street to North Road. We’ll head up North Road to Baldwin Street.
Then we’ll ascend the Steepest Street in the World – Baldwin Street. Baldwin Street in total climbs 70 metres to the top at an average gradient of about 1 in 5. However it is the top section that is the steepest, the top 70 metres having a gradient of 1 in 2.9, the steepest of any residential street in the world.
Once we’ve recovered from that climb, we’ll take the footpath across to and down to Calder Street, and down that to Primrose Bank and follow that to visit the North-East Valley Community Garden.
Returning to the street, we’ll ascend Dalmeny Street, Dunedin’s 6th steepest street at 1 in 3.7. This takes us back up to Evans Street and Opoho and the Maybank Township. We’ll head up Evans Street to find another alleyway and more steps up to Signal Hill Road. A little further up here is the last subdivision in Opoho, Northfield Avenue, created in the early 1950s. At least 6 sections were bought by ex-servicemen who could call on Rehabilitation Loans. Including Jack (John) Simpson who bought at 18 Northfield Avenue. He recalled the difficulties of building with post-war shortages. Cement was so difficult to get that the laying of concrete paths had to wait more than a year. The avenue mostly remains a typical example of 1950s housing.
Down the lane gives access to Signal Hill Road and the bus terminus. It was the extension of the trolley bus route to this point in 1950 that lead to the Northfield Avenue subdivision. Opoho was the first trolleybus route in the city, and one of the last to be replaced by diesel buses in 1982.
Just down Signal Hill Road is 138 Signal Hill Road, and 136 Signal Hill Road. 138 was the home of Helmut and Renate Rex, refugees from Nazi Germany in 1939. Rex was a distinguished theologian and became Professor of Church History at Knox College and for a short time before his early death in the 1967 Dean of the Theology Faculty of the Otago University. Currently living at No. 138 are Wyn and Ross. Back when Helmut was at No. 138, Margreet lived next door at No. 136 with her family. She remembers the Professor, but a much bigger impression was made on her by Neil on the buses that stopped just outside her house.
Grandview Crescent was another subdivision in 1925, using Black’s Paddock. It was intended to be a select area; every home built there had to be valued at not less than £1200. Grandview Crescent now represents a nice group of well-built houses from the period 1927 – 1930.
Our last lane for the walk takes us down past Opoho School to Warden Street and 76 Warden Street. The Foxes who bought the house in 1936 are most remembered as it was in their garage that most of the Opoho Festival floats were constructed. Festival float construction was a big part of the Opoho year; it was a big competition between suburbs which Opoho often won.
From Warden Street, we’re back across the Alhambra sports ground (birthplace of Neil’s great-grandfather) to the Botanic Gardens where we started.
[Almost all of this information is taken from an excellent book ‘On the Slopes of Signal Hill’ by Ernie Blair and Elizabeth Kerse published by Otago Heritage Books in 1988. Plus a bit of Wikipedia. ]