Do you remember the 1970s in Dunedin?

Do you remember or have any detail about these flats, or others from this period?

Gilgamesh (Castle St), Nightmare Abbey (Castle Street), Hobbit’s Hovel, The Bay of Pigs (Cumberland St), Convention Centrewhich (Cumberland St), Toad Hall (Pitt or Cumberland St), Mustart Mansion, Ratvia, Slagg Heep (158 Dundas Street), Toad Works , Acropolis (Clyde Street), The Spanish Slum (16-18 London St)

Do you remember the 1970s in Dunedin?

2 comments

  1. Mark Baxter

    Hobbit’s Hovel was the first named flat I ever saw. it was one of the villas on the west side of Castle St on the block between Howe and Dundas Streets, possibly number 632 (or one of the ones a house or three southwards). It had a wooden sign with black text on white that had either been done professionally or by someone who had some skill, which hung between the two supports on the front verandah. The flat looked reasonably tidy for the record. And if I recall correctly was a quiet curtains drawn a lot of the time flat.

    Toad Works was on Great King St, one of the two-story flats at number 473, I think the one on the left but could be wrong. It’s sign was a Road Works sign (same shape as a street sign which I assume old Road Works signs were?) changed to read Toad Works, which was affixed to the bottom of one of the balconies. I believe this had been at a previous flat and was somewhat known by the wider population (it was my grandparents who pointed the sign out to me). I’m pretty sure it was included in a bunch of sketches an artist had produced (on place-mats?) around this time; but I could be making that up.

    This was in the mid/late ’70s to very early ’80s, I don’t think either shifted in that time, but both did vanish at some point.

    • flatnames

      Hi Mark, thanks for all the details you’ve shared. I’ve heard a few of these names over the years but it’s great to have them confirmed, and especially to have address details. Did you ever live in named flat yourself?
      Sarah

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