Jermyn Street - Auckland

Jermyn Street is a name synonymous with Shirtmaking and Mens Haberdashery and until 1916 we had our very own in Auckland, New Zealand.

Jermyn St was one of Auckland's first streets, named after Captain John Jermyn Symonds who had been, among many things, the private secretary to Governor George Grey, a Member of Parliament and a founding member of the ASB.

In December 1916, the city decided to honor the men who had died at Gallipoli by changing its name to Anzac Avenue. But the memorial was not popular with everyone.

Residents urged the city council to reconsider keeping the upgraded street's original name of Jermyn St. In changing it, they argued, a concession was being made to people who mispronounced it as "German" - a contentious mistake in wartime.

By repeatedly changing street names, they contested, the city would lose "interesting connections" with its past.