On 8 August 1912, Birkenhead Borough Council created and changed a number of street names in the Birkenhead Point, Highbury and Glenfield areas. Formerly collectively known as Main Road, Hinemoa Street, Hauraki Street and Glenfield Road were all separated out. Hinemoa Street was defined as being from Birkenhead ferry wharf to Elson's shop. George Edward Elson was variously described as a chemist, druggist and pharmacist and most likely his shop was just down from what became the Birkenhead South Post Office, just north of the corners of present-day Maritime Terrace, Bridge View Road and Hinemoa Street.

Stephen Roberts had a grocery store in that area from 1904 and that's shown in photographs of the time. Hauraki Street then continued from Elson's shop to Highbury, and from 1968 Hauraki became an extension of Hinemoa Street. In 1912, Glenfield Road, (from February 1967, Birkenhead Avenue), then continued on the borough boundary at now Pupuke Road. That was the boundary with Waitemata County. In 1912, Lake Road (the Birkenhead part) became Pupuke Road.
As well as those major changes, there were also changes in what were then the side roads. Bath Street became Arawa Street in 1912, and from February 1967, Awanui Street. Northcote Terrace became Marama Street (later Terrace) and from 1968 Maritime Terrace. Valley Road retained that name in 1912, but in February 1967 became Glade Place. Le Roy Terrace was formerly Carlton Terrace until 1967 and was developed in the early 1940s for the first state houses in the borough. Northcote Road became Onewa Road in 1912, or rather the Birkenhead Borough part. Northcote Borough didn't rename its part of Northcote Road as Onewa Road until 1914, and I can't determine when Waitemata County renamed the middle part. Of course from 1959, Onewa Road became a little busier with the Auckland harbour bridge.
On the west side of Hinemoa and Hauraki, Tizard's Road was renamed Akarana Road in 1912. However, this was reversed in the 1920s and a local land agent, as well as having a host of other titles and duties, Edward Fawconer Tizard and family are still remembered. They actually lived for a time in what is now Maritime Terrace, but also had land on the Point. Telephone Road (where the telephone line reached the sugar works) became Rugby Road in 1912, while that part of Palmerston Road to the north of Telephone/Rugby was renamed Tennyson Street.
That area housed a number of sugar workers, with sugar company loans, enabling them to easily walk to work. However, in 1935 Tennyson became again an extension of the existing Palmerston Road. Albert Road off Rugby became Maunganui from February 1967. Harbour View Road retained that name in 1912, but was renamed Bridge View from February 1967. Weymouth Road also retained its name in 1912, but was renamed Wanganella from February 1967. The Crescent also retained its name in 1912, but was renamed Mariposa in 1968.
In Highbury, Hall's Road was renamed Rawene Road in 1912. The Hall family lived at the bottom of that road by the sugar works. Mokoia Road was the new name for what was Robert's Road and that stretched from Highbury Corner to "Hadfield's" (from 1912 the start of Waipa Street). Stephen Roberts opened a second grocery store at what is now 243 Hinemoa Street around 1915 (the facade is still there). His private address was in what was Roberts Road on the south side, just before present-day Huka Road (Hutton Road until February 1967) and opposite present-day Birkenhead Primary School. Stephen died in 1931.

david.verran@xtra.co.nz