By LEWIS CASSRELS

I am pleased to help you regarding early Paeroa "street names" many of which referred to members of my family. My father, Asher Cassrels, who was probably the first business man in Paeroa came from Poland before 1875, and though not facile in English, was highly educated in Hebrew. He was an authority on the Old Testament from whence some of the Biblical names of his children.

I was the eldest and was named "Lewis" after my maternal grandfather. Then Leila and Zillah both died in infancy due probably to the inability to obtain medical attention, there being no doctor nearer than Thames, which by bridle track was many hours away. My sister Salome "Olga" was born at Thames in 1890, and in 1896, the Bible supplied the names for my brother "Nahum Seth" though from his earliest childhood we called him Joe.

You will also find a Bennett St. in Paeroa and this was named after my father's partner Phillip Bennett. When they rowed up the river in a canoe from Thames, the only other white people were the Thorps on their farm, Belmont at the Puke, and a man named Cashel who had a landing and store near by. However they proceeded further up the winding river to the site of the present town of Paeroa and eventually bought some land in the vicinity of the streets they later named. They built the original Criterion Hotel, and later the one which is still in use on the Junction of Normanby Road and Cassrels Street.

ARNEY - Judge Arney, Chief Justice.

ANDREWS - Colonel C. E. Andrews.

BRADLEY - Thos. Bradley, Stable & Coaching.

BRENAN - Phil Brenan (Mayor) and brother Lyn (killed in Action 1917).

BUCHANAN - G.E. Buchanan, Chairman of Directors of Thames Valley Dairy Co. 1915-30.

BUSH - H.R. Bush, Borough Council 1915-21.

CORBETT - E.M. and H.M. Corbett - Ohinemuri County Council.

CULLEN - Wm. Cullen, Draper and Land owner.

DE CASTRO - G.P. De Castro, Chemist - Borough Council (1925 – ’27).

DULCIE - Dulcie Nicks - settlers.

EDWARDS PLACE - Edwin Edwards, Mayor (1941 - 50)

GEORGE and GREY - Sir George Grey.

KENNEDY - John Kennedy, Businessman.

LEE AVENUE - E.W. Lee, Mayor of Paeroa.

MACKAY - James Mackay, Commissioner for Hauraki 1875.

MARSHALL - Wm. Marshall - Mayor of Paeroa (1923 - 4l).

MILLER - Land owner & Thames Solicitor.

NORMANBY - Marquis of Normanby, Governor of N.Z. (1874 - 79).

PORRITT - E.W. Porritt - Solicitor.

POLAND - Hugh Poland M.P. 1905 - 1925.

PRIMROSE HILL - Primrose family about 1880.

RAILWAY Parallel to Railway Line.

TAYLORS AVE.- H. Taylor. Bor. Council (l915-21).

TOWERS - W.J. Towers 1st Mayor, 1915.

QUARRY - Silcock's Quarry.

RUSSELL - One of 1st Leasees of Paeroa land 1875.

STATION - Led to original R. Station.

WHARF - Led to River Wharf.

WILLLIAM - Wm. Towers Business Premises.

WILLOUGHBY - Willoughby Shortland.