Community Contributed

Block II of Town of Levin, Waiopehu Survey district

Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T16:52:48+00:00
Block II is bounded by (clockwise from top of picture): York Street, Oxford Street, Essex Street and Bristol Street. - Formerly Horowhenua No. 2 block. Surveyed by A.E. Ashcroft and T.L. Humphries - December 1888.
Block Section Name Date Notes Address in 2010
II 1 RD Worsfold
12 Aug 1891 17 York Street
II 2 JW Gower 27 Jun 1895 54 Bristol Street
II 3 Primary Education Endowment

52 Bristol Street

52B Bristol Street
II 4 Bridget O’Rorke 14 Nov 1894

50 Bristol Street

50A Bristol Street
II 5 Bridget O’Rorke 14 Nov 1894 48 Bristol Street
II 6 WW Smithson 20 Nov 1890 15 York Street
II 7 JW Gower
27 Jun 1895 12 Essex Street
II 8 JW Gower
17 Nov 1894 11 York Street
II 9 JW Gower 17 Nov 1894

10 Essex Street

1 Surrey Lane

3 Surrey Lane

5 Surrey Lane
II 10 Municipal Reserve

9 York Street

9A York Street
II 11 "

2 Surrey Lane

4 Surrey Lane

6 Surrey Lane

8 Surrey Lane
II 12 EB Ostler 12 Aug 1891

7 York Street

7A York Street
II 13 JW Gower
27 Jun 1895 6 Essex Street
II 14 G Hagerty
12 Aug 1891 5 York Street
II 15 GR McDonald 12 Aug 1891

327 Oxford Street

325 Oxford Street
II 16 Public Building
Wirokino
Highway
Board

317 Oxford Street

4 Essex Street

Notes:

WW Smithson was a Baker in Levin in 1891.
Emma Bignell Ostler (wife of William Henry Ostler).

According to the Dictionary of NZ Biography:

'In 1887, with her two youngest children at school overseas, Emma Ostler
moved with her daughter Helen to Waitohi Flat where Helen had obtained
a teaching position. Here Emma developed 'an acute attack of land-hunger'.

In 1888 they moved north to take part in the ballot for village settlement
sections at Levin, securing 20 acres with permanent water.

Together they cleared the land, gardened, fenced, and, observing how their
first one-roomed shelter was constructed, built their own additions.

Their property, Cashmere, when added to over the years, became a valuable
estate. During her years in Levin Emma revealed a shrewd business sense,
making her fortune in leases and real estate.

She is known to have annoyed the local county council by leasing a gravel
reserve for grazing then selling the gravel, and also by renting probably
the same land to horse trainers.'
JW Gower was Mayor of Foxton 1888-90.