Maureen and Evan Frew’s family connection to the Cressy Oaks subdivision is vast and deeply rooted. The first construction phase of the development were the nine lots along McLaughlins Road in the late 1990s. When it came time to name the street which would lead into the rest of the subdivision, rather than using their family name, they chose Cressy Oaks. ‘Cressy’ was one of the first four ships came into Canterbury arriving 1850. Evan Frew’s great, great grandparents – Robert and Sarah Evans were on board. Robert and Sarah had Caroline in 1851 in Lyttleton, Christchurch. Caroline went on to marry John Frew and they both settled in Greendale where they had eighteen children. The remaining street names for Cressy Oaks were also given names stemming back to the family history, giving a nod to the history of Canterbury.

 

William Hyde Place, part of the first stage of Cressy Oaks, was named after Maureen Frew’s side of the family who arrived in New Zealand from England on ‘William Hyde’ in 1852. The family lived in Christchurch, settling in Ohoka.

 

Glenmark Drive, part of the second stage of Cressy Oaks, was named after the ship, ‘Glenmark’, that sailed from Northern Ireland to Canterbury. Samuel and Esther Wilson, Maureen Frew’s great grandparents, were onboard and later settled on a small farm in Weedons.

 

Westmoreland Ave, in the second stage of Cressy Oaks, is named after Evan Frew’s great, great grandparents – Christopher and Margaret Robinson – who left their home in Westmoreland, Cumbria in the 1860s and sailed to Otago. Here the family farmed in Moneymore.

 

An oak tree has been planted in the reserve within Stage One. This is a tie to the name of the subdivision as well as being a ‘family tree’, connecting all of the street names together and honouring the history of Cressy Oaks and the Frew family.