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Holy City, Greymouth.1970 - a history
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DescriptionThe area known as "Holy City" (Stratford Street?) Greymouth taken in 1970 by the late W.W.Dudding. According to Frances Buckley in a history of Greymouth Street names ; "This enclosed area, available only to foot traffic, between Alexander and Blackmore streets was given the name ‘Holy City’ because the original 12 houses dubbed “the twelve apostles” were occupied by Catholic families who visited church on a very regular basis. Today the area houses the Noia Neate Pensioner Flats named to honour the late wife of the then Commissioner for Town Planning".PhotographerW W DuddingMap[1] Contributor Gordon William Bartram
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CommentsThe area known as "Holy City" (Stratford Street?) Greymouth taken in 1970 by the late W.W.Dudding. According to Frances Buckley in a history of Greymouth Street names ; "This enclosed area, available only to foot traffic, between Alexander and Blackmore streets was given the name ‘Holy City’ because the original 12 houses dubbed “the twelve apostles” were occupied by Catholic families who visited church on a very regular basis. Today the area houses the Noia Neate Pensioner Flats named to honour the late wife of the then Commissioner for Town Planning".
Murray Webber I used to work as an apprentice in Peter Wilkins sheetmetal work shop in the mid sixties which backed onto holy city
Annie Van Looy
My play ground as a kid cool place
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer
Annie Van Looy I loved how it was only foot traffic. Hang we grew up in the best of times
Annie Van Looy
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer too right we did beks, the best
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
My F in Law was Bill Downing, (owned them, ) and rented them out for Several years, yes 1rst house on left going from Alexander Street end, then Mackies, Duties, Whites,Woods, ,Yes they were a bit shabby, and maybe a bit damp but those that rented them Including me and my family for a few years were folks that couldn t afford other houses, and Landlord even helped some out with furniture,, etc
Wayne Leckie
Wow! That's awesome! Started a lot of people of in their married lives
Leanda Moka
Wayne Leckie Kiaora Wayne it definitely did my late husband and I. 3 toddlers and 1on the way moved into number 7 mid 1978 it was a stepping stone to getting a state house we were very grateful we had moved down from Auckland end of 77 lived in Cobden then got the place 4 families including mine lived on the street
James Codyre
I often cut through the Holy City on my bike going to Marist Primary to meet up with Greg Wood and Chip's from Murray Street and save pushing my bike over Eason's Hill.
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer
Many a good party in some of those places. Good times Steve Newby, good times
Steve Newby
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer we used to get drunk and smash all the windows
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer
Steve Newby yes, we probably had anger issues really..
Robin Whyte
From what I can remember the houses were old an damp. Remember mum telling me about it. Mum took me to the doctors one day cause I had a cold an it wouldn't go away the doc said that we need to move cause of the house was in such a state it was effecting my health
Robin Whyte
Was bout 4 when mum an dad moved to a railway house in Shakespeare st
Warren Duthie
lived there early 70s Lahoods first on the left going in Mackys next then us in the yellow one[ Duthies ] Bert & Nell Woods then Shush Renolds at Blackmore street end .Bill Dowling was the landlord
Phil Millar
Bill dudding was our senior railway engineer here in Christchurch!
Anne Honey
When i called in to see you i thought yr house was warm and comfortable. A typical family home on the coast.
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
Anne Honey Yes if you lit fires, and a few carpets,etc any house can be made comfortable , we had 4 children there plenty of room and great for playing as off the busy streets,
Tony Froome
It was haunted aye Gavin Whitcombe
Leanda Moka
Tony Froome ours wasn't to many kids
Jan Lintott Etherington
My first husband and I lived in the last house on the left next to Blackmore St in the early 70s.
Gavin Case
play there in 1966 liveing there now as olders flats
Sonia Back
My parents lived there always remeber mum saying they were damp I will show dad when I see him
Colleen Cochrane
I remember those days.
Vern Pattinson
I remember those days!
Joan Adams
I lived in Rochford Street which ran off Blackmore street, Holy City was an area which we walked through all the timeI remember a bamboo part which was before we got to Alexander Street.
Michaela Perkins
Beautiful. It looks so cheerful, Inviting... Shame the main street does not have such lovely colours. It's all peeling and faded. Now. Drab and ugly
Kevin Patrick O'Donnell
It Never looked that good when I was a Young Fellow but that was a long time ago
Reply
14h
Shelley Campbell Morrissey
Does anyone have more information about Holy City. I lived here briefly as a toddler and interested to learn more history of this place
Reply
14h
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
SO Far as I can gather there were 9 houses and they were built in the depression, (by,Stratford and Blair sawmills, because they used timber that they couldn t sell)several stories re guarding why they were Nicknamed Holy City,) the main one I heard were that after they were built, the occupents were A minister, an organist, and other people, all belonging to mainly one Greymouth Church, but my F in Law brought them approx 1964, after selling New Commercial Hotel in Reefton, and a bit Later Club hotel in Mawhera Quay Greymouth, He was Proud that when he bought them some Locals nicknamed it Downing street and he Lived at No 10, which when he brought another house in Cobden myself,f My husband (then) and my first 4 Children moved into no 10 to keep the adress To go with the name , Later we moved to no 5 which in this photo was the green one that is just visible in against the H City side of Easons hill, and was built some time after the others and was more solid, and the elderly Lad y who lived in no 12 Set her open fire, with a big lump of wood No Firegaurd, and when the fire engines came she was thought to be in it, and we were all horrified, but they later found her sitting at railway station , said she was catching train to hokitika, but she hadn t bought a ticket, poor soul, she was hospilised after that, The houses were all sold after that to A Mrs Rawcliffe and not too sure what after that, but as we all know The pensioner flats are now on that Land,
Anne Honey
Glenys Elizabeth Martin was that mrs Rawcliffe from Cobden.
Judy Davis
Anne Honey -Peggy Rawcliffe do you mean?
Melanie Langdon
Glenys Elizabeth Martin what an awesome piece of history you shared - how cool I did not know that.
I think I remember a story that my Nan and Pop lived there at one stage along with Uncle Rex?
Beverley Inwood
I lived there briefly when first married 1964
Trish Rennie
Christine Banks you may be able to extend on this story
Christine Banks
Yes, after Bill Downing owed them, Peggy Clay (nee Rawcliffe), a local business woman who owned a lot of rental properties around Cobden and Greymouth, as well as running a number of hairdressing shops and school, in Greymouth, Hokitika and Reefton, bought them. She then started doing them up and of course the rent went up, which meant those that had been there for years, were not happy, but Peggy thrived on being busy and standing her corner. In later life, she sold plants at Kaiata and her son, Ra Clay, is now also doing this. Thanks Trish Rennie for asking for more info, not sure who she sold them to though.
Janine Moulton
Great partys ,shit that takes me bk first time i herd frank zapper n the mothers,then ginge wallace gave it2 me 4 xmas,great memorys eh ,jst took me bk n time
Neville Bellis
Brings back memories
Kim Fentiman
Road not even sealed whenever I used it
Christopher Morresey
Bill Downing own,d it in the 60s
Alan Beck
Times of awe. "Holy City" (Jeanette Macdonald). Considered the residents to be pious.
Annie Van Looy
My playground as a kid I think noia neate was a good friend of my mum and dad, Theresa and harry van looy, remember the name back in the day
John Low
I have posted this before but is definitely relative to this post. This is a pen and ink sketch by a then high school student Ian Hamlin ( now well recognized artist living in Wellington). I commissioned this in 1978 just as was I about to leave Greymouth to live in Palmerston North. We had lived in the house where the two boys are playing with the football in 1956 for a few years before moving to Runanga. Can still remember the good times had there and the area families. Proffits, Robinson’s, Mundys, Cavanaghs, Woods.
Joan Adams
My uncle and aunt lived there way back in the 1930/40s
Anne Honey
Visited my friend Glenys and her family there and thought it would have been a nice area to live.
Mark Downing
I lived in 6 of the houses at different times then moved to 14 Thompson St good eara to grow up
Alan Smith
Had good party's there
Grant Jamieson
Yes, never lived there, but stayed on the odd couch, after party, bak in the day. Holy city, party central. We're showing our age
Robin Whyte
Mum an dad lived there I think 1965 till bout 68 when we moved up to Shakespeare st passed the high school
Mary Biddington
Spooky going through holy city at night,dark.
Annie Van Looy
My playground as a kid I think noia neate was a good friend of my mum and dad, Theresa and harry van looy, remember the name back in the day
Murray Webber I used to work as an apprentice in Peter Wilkins sheetmetal work shop in the mid sixties which backed onto holy city
Annie Van Looy
My play ground as a kid cool place
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer
Annie Van Looy I loved how it was only foot traffic. Hang we grew up in the best of times
Annie Van Looy
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer too right we did beks, the best
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
My F in Law was Bill Downing, (owned them, ) and rented them out for Several years, yes 1rst house on left going from Alexander Street end, then Mackies, Duties, Whites,Woods, ,Yes they were a bit shabby, and maybe a bit damp but those that rented them Including me and my family for a few years were folks that couldn t afford other houses, and Landlord even helped some out with furniture,, etc
Wayne Leckie
Wow! That's awesome! Started a lot of people of in their married lives
Leanda Moka
Wayne Leckie Kiaora Wayne it definitely did my late husband and I. 3 toddlers and 1on the way moved into number 7 mid 1978 it was a stepping stone to getting a state house we were very grateful we had moved down from Auckland end of 77 lived in Cobden then got the place 4 families including mine lived on the street
James Codyre
I often cut through the Holy City on my bike going to Marist Primary to meet up with Greg Wood and Chip's from Murray Street and save pushing my bike over Eason's Hill.
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer
Many a good party in some of those places. Good times Steve Newby, good times
Steve Newby
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer we used to get drunk and smash all the windows
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer
Steve Newby yes, we probably had anger issues really..
Robin Whyte
From what I can remember the houses were old an damp. Remember mum telling me about it. Mum took me to the doctors one day cause I had a cold an it wouldn't go away the doc said that we need to move cause of the house was in such a state it was effecting my health
Robin Whyte
Was bout 4 when mum an dad moved to a railway house in Shakespeare st
Warren Duthie
lived there early 70s Lahoods first on the left going in Mackys next then us in the yellow one[ Duthies ] Bert & Nell Woods then Shush Renolds at Blackmore street end .Bill Dowling was the landlord
Phil Millar
Bill dudding was our senior railway engineer here in Christchurch!
Anne Honey
When i called in to see you i thought yr house was warm and comfortable. A typical family home on the coast.
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
Anne Honey Yes if you lit fires, and a few carpets,etc any house can be made comfortable , we had 4 children there plenty of room and great for playing as off the busy streets,
Tony Froome
It was haunted aye Gavin Whitcombe
Leanda Moka
Tony Froome ours wasn't to many kids
Jan Lintott Etherington
My first husband and I lived in the last house on the left next to Blackmore St in the early 70s.
Gavin Case
play there in 1966 liveing there now as olders flats
Sonia Back
My parents lived there always remeber mum saying they were damp I will show dad when I see him
Colleen Cochrane
I remember those days.
Vern Pattinson
I remember those days!
Joan Adams
I lived in Rochford Street which ran off Blackmore street, Holy City was an area which we walked through all the timeI remember a bamboo part which was before we got to Alexander Street.
Michaela Perkins
Beautiful. It looks so cheerful, Inviting... Shame the main street does not have such lovely colours. It's all peeling and faded. Now. Drab and ugly
Kevin Patrick O'Donnell
It Never looked that good when I was a Young Fellow but that was a long time ago
Reply
14h
Shelley Campbell Morrissey
Does anyone have more information about Holy City. I lived here briefly as a toddler and interested to learn more history of this place
Reply
14h
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
SO Far as I can gather there were 9 houses and they were built in the depression, (by,Stratford and Blair sawmills, because they used timber that they couldn t sell)several stories re guarding why they were Nicknamed Holy City,) the main one I heard were that after they were built, the occupents were A minister, an organist, and other people, all belonging to mainly one Greymouth Church, but my F in Law brought them approx 1964, after selling New Commercial Hotel in Reefton, and a bit Later Club hotel in Mawhera Quay Greymouth, He was Proud that when he bought them some Locals nicknamed it Downing street and he Lived at No 10, which when he brought another house in Cobden myself,f My husband (then) and my first 4 Children moved into no 10 to keep the adress To go with the name , Later we moved to no 5 which in this photo was the green one that is just visible in against the H City side of Easons hill, and was built some time after the others and was more solid, and the elderly Lad y who lived in no 12 Set her open fire, with a big lump of wood No Firegaurd, and when the fire engines came she was thought to be in it, and we were all horrified, but they later found her sitting at railway station , said she was catching train to hokitika, but she hadn t bought a ticket, poor soul, she was hospilised after that, The houses were all sold after that to A Mrs Rawcliffe and not too sure what after that, but as we all know The pensioner flats are now on that Land,
Anne Honey
Glenys Elizabeth Martin was that mrs Rawcliffe from Cobden.
Judy Davis
Anne Honey -Peggy Rawcliffe do you mean?
Melanie Langdon
Glenys Elizabeth Martin what an awesome piece of history you shared - how cool I did not know that.
I think I remember a story that my Nan and Pop lived there at one stage along with Uncle Rex?
Beverley Inwood
I lived there briefly when first married 1964
Trish Rennie
Christine Banks you may be able to extend on this story
Christine Banks
Yes, after Bill Downing owed them, Peggy Clay (nee Rawcliffe), a local business woman who owned a lot of rental properties around Cobden and Greymouth, as well as running a number of hairdressing shops and school, in Greymouth, Hokitika and Reefton, bought them. She then started doing them up and of course the rent went up, which meant those that had been there for years, were not happy, but Peggy thrived on being busy and standing her corner. In later life, she sold plants at Kaiata and her son, Ra Clay, is now also doing this. Thanks Trish Rennie for asking for more info, not sure who she sold them to though.
Janine Moulton
Great partys ,shit that takes me bk first time i herd frank zapper n the mothers,then ginge wallace gave it2 me 4 xmas,great memorys eh ,jst took me bk n time
Neville Bellis
Brings back memories
Kim Fentiman
Road not even sealed whenever I used it
Christopher Morresey
Bill Downing own,d it in the 60s
Alan Beck
Times of awe. "Holy City" (Jeanette Macdonald). Considered the residents to be pious.
Annie Van Looy
My playground as a kid I think noia neate was a good friend of my mum and dad, Theresa and harry van looy, remember the name back in the day
John Low
I have posted this before but is definitely relative to this post. This is a pen and ink sketch by a then high school student Ian Hamlin ( now well recognized artist living in Wellington). I commissioned this in 1978 just as was I about to leave Greymouth to live in Palmerston North. We had lived in the house where the two boys are playing with the football in 1956 for a few years before moving to Runanga. Can still remember the good times had there and the area families. Proffits, Robinson’s, Mundys, Cavanaghs, Woods.
Joan Adams
My uncle and aunt lived there way back in the 1930/40s
Anne Honey
Visited my friend Glenys and her family there and thought it would have been a nice area to live.
Mark Downing
I lived in 6 of the houses at different times then moved to 14 Thompson St good eara to grow up
Alan Smith
Had good party's there
Grant Jamieson
Yes, never lived there, but stayed on the odd couch, after party, bak in the day. Holy city, party central. We're showing our age
Robin Whyte
Mum an dad lived there I think 1965 till bout 68 when we moved up to Shakespeare st passed the high school
Mary Biddington
Spooky going through holy city at night,dark.
Annie Van Looy
My playground as a kid I think noia neate was a good friend of my mum and dad, Theresa and harry van looy, remember the name back in the day
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West Coast New Zealand History (31st Jan 2025). Holy City, Greymouth.1970 - a history. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 19th Apr 2026 23:40, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/724