Talk:Papanui

Gang trouble?
I live in Papanui and haven't heard of the Westgrove OGs in any of the local papers or even on the streets, I'll leave the bit in for a couple of days with Fact before deleting in case someone can provide a source. Papanui had some [gang trouble in 2001] though I wouldn't consider it notable and the name of the gang wasn't mentioned in the media. Lossenelin 09:41, 30 April 2007 (UTC)

Other Meaning of name?
Closing down an old website I ran and thought some of this information might be useful for this entry. If I get time I'll see if I can add it in myself.

Literal meaning: Another meaning, equally applicable to the district, in the early days, is a stage set in the  branches of a tree to accommodate a bird-spearer; but there are many other  possible meanings. From Place names of New Zealand, A.W. Reed (1975).

Brief History: While most of the Canterbury plains in the South Island of New Zealand were deforested by either the Maori or the so call Moa  Hunters in the mid 1300's, Papanui Bush was one of the few stands of pine  and totara left in the Canterbury region at the time of European colonization. As such it was a site of early settlement in the area, as milling of the timber for construction and fire wood occurred. By the early 1850's the area boasted a hotel, store, blacksmiths, clothing shop, butchers, chemist, dispensers and  market gardening on the cleared land. A school room appeared in 1853.

As clearing occurred settlement sprung up along what would become the main road out  of Christchurch to North Canterbury. This route was to became known as Papanui Road. By 1857 the last of the trees were felled in the area and market gardening and orchards flourish. As settlement of Christchurch continued new settlers arrived to transform the area into a suburb, and it became part of Christchurch  city in 1923. MopyNZ (talk) 15:01, 30 July 2008 (UTC)