A landmark in North Dunedin, The Stafford Terrace at 62-86 Dundas Street, colloquially known as the Coronation Street flats, are being redeveloped. The process began in late 2015 – interiors have been stripped and the frontages cleaned up with the doors painted in bright colours. Their Facebook page tracks the renovation process of a third of the flats in the terrace.

What’s particularly interesting from my perspective is that the developer is inviting residents to name their flat and they supply a replica sign for them. The catch is it must reference a landmark from the TV programme, Coronation Street in order to “secure their place in history”.

The Stafford Terraces have a Category 2 listing with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (3189). It is a significant building because it is representative of 19th century working class accommodation and investment housing. It was purpose built as a rental, and over 150 years later, it still is. The following are quotations from the NZHPT record:

“The first tenants were apparently from the lower middle class and the working class, there were painters, bootmakers, carpenters, butchers, bakers and a storeman.”

“In recent years the terraced houses have been landmark rental properties, well known to students, and an important element in the townscape of the North Dunedin student area.”

The Stafford Terraces have been bestowed with a number of flat names over the years: The Shire, Chomp, The Brick Shit House, Battleship. The flat’s distinctive window frames were captured as a background image for a poster advertising the release of Husband House EP by Sneaky Feelings.

Did you or anyone you know live in these flats?

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