Street Names - Renall Street

This Freemans Bay street was named after Alfred William Renall who was born in Essex and sailed to New Zealand on the ‘Martha Ridgeway’ in 1840.

In about 1849, a man named Charles Mabey commenced to build a watermill at Taita. Mabey was unable to complete the work and Renall took over and completed it by the end of 1850 and commenced milling. It was the first watermill to be erected in the Hutt Valley. Renall applied himself with great zeal to his new enterprise, working successfully for many years.

In 1853 he was induced by fellow colonists to enter the political arena. The first Provincial Council for Wellington was established later in the year. Renall added his name to the list of candidates and even though he was competing against popular men, he succeeded in reaching the head of the poll but only by a single vote. In 1850 he became a member of Parliament and was later a member of the General Assembly for six years representing Wellington on a national political level.

Wellington was already noted for the frequency and violence of its earthquakes and in 1855 ‘the great earthquake’ shook the city. Fortunately this struck on a general holiday and even though The Provincial Council was in session it was adjourned in honour of the province’s anniversary.

This was just as well because the upper floor where the meeting would have taken place collapsed to the ground floor level and fatalities were most likely to have occurred. Renall suffered financially by damages to the mill but it was repaired and continued to work till 1858 when it was damaged by a flood in which several settlers drowned.

Sir George Grey granted relief by setting aside a large tract of land that victims of the flood could access on easy terms. Renall along with others named the site Masterton and Greytown and having splendid waterpower he erected another waterwheel equal to 20-horsepower. Back into politics with a vengeance, he was elected as a member of the General Assembly which sat in Auckland. He next established the first road board in Masterton of which he became chairman and acted as engineer as well, laying the first road. He also built some of the bridges.

At this time he became involved in an organisation called the Small Farmers Association that was formed with the intent to prevent the Waiararapa being taken over by large run holders and ensure ordinary folks could afford to buy parcels of land. The Association is still active today.

About 1875 he took a trip back to England and during his absence a town board replaced the old road board. When he returned he sketched out the boundaries for the Masterton borough of which he was elected mayor three times. In 1859 he was sworn in before a judge as a justice of the peace, a position he held for many years. He was a very colourful mayor and hugely popular, a larger-than-life character who was very outspoken with a fondness for story-telling and a very successful self-promoter. In his late 70s, he retired from the council.

Apparently he was a philanthropist who gave money to the needy and bags of flour to the Salvation Army. He was also a Free Thinker which was a common 19th Century term for those who who based their opinions on logic and reason. Nevertheless he respected church-goers but believed people were entitled to have their own thoughts about the hereafter. Perhaps this was because four of his 16 children met violent deaths. One was shot, another burned to death, the third crushed in a windmill and the fourth killed by a falling tree. Four others died leaving only eight alive before Renall himself shuffled off this mortal coil.

Renall lived to a great old age, from 1913 till 1902. He had been a good colonist in every respect and must certainly be numbered among New Zealand’s successful setters. When he died the turnout at his funeral was huge. (DEIRDRE ROELANTS)