The New Zealand area of Derby lies about one mile from Derby City Centre and its boundaries are Uttoxeter Old Road to Ashbourne Road/Friargate then Ashbourne Road to Markeaton Island/A38 then Markeaton Island/A38 to A38/Kingsway then A38/Kingsway to Brackensdale Bridge/Lyttleton Street then Lyttleton Street to Cheviot Street then Cheviot Street to Slack Lane and finally Slack Lane to Uttoxeter Old Road.

In 1851 a Freehold land Society was established and purchased a large plot of land between Ashbourne Road and Stepping Lane from the Chandos-Pole family of Radbourne Hall. A year later two further parcels of land were acquired, an area near Uttoxeter Road from the Brough family of Kirk Langley and, most importantly for us, the area now containing Stanley Street was sold to the Society by the successful printing family of the Bemroses.

The streets were laid out shortly after although both Slack Lane and Stepping Lane were already in existence as they were farm access tracks. The actual building of the houses happened over the next 50 years

It seems likely that the area takes its name from the New Zealand farm which lay in the area prior to it being developed and was likely a part of the Chandos-Pole estate of Radbourne Hall. It is thought that the farm was named after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 which established a British Government in New Zealand for the first time. It is unclear why a farm in Derby should be called this however Maxwell Craven has suggested that it may be in tribute to locally born William Gisborne who was involved in the negotiations of the treaty. Born in Bakewell in 1825, William's grandfather Thomas, spent his life working towards the abolition of the slave trade. William emigrated first to Australia in 1842 and then shortly after to New Zealand where he became the Colonial Secretary from 1860 to 1872 and the Minister for Public Works. The city of Gisborne in New Zealand is named after him. He returned to England in 1881 following the death of his elder brother Francis. In 1892 he inherited Allestree Hall from his brother-in-law, Sir William Evans, 1st Baronet, and died there in 1898

The area developed largely to provide employment for the railway and other nearby businesses, particularly those that lined Slack Lane which ran parallel to Stanley Street at the bottom of the hill. The nearby Friargate Station formed part of an enormous complex, featuring passenger lines as well as a huge goods yards and the imposing Bonded Warehouse

Today much of the original terraced housing survives although most of the shops, of which there were many, have gone. Some housing has been demolished and replaced with more modern developments, particularly around the Cobden Street area. With the closure of Friargate station and it’s railway line the area along Slack Lane that had once housed factories was redeveloped with housing and the Cheviot Street Park.
Also surviving are 2 pubs, The Crescent and the New Zealand Arms