The land beneath Leeds Street was purchased by former British MP Algernon Tollemache (1805-1897) in 1852, an early settler in New Zealand and a wealthy businessman. Tollemache did little with the land and sold it to Mary Taylor in 1859. Taylor divided the land and named Leeds Street in remembrance of her childhood in Yorkshire. Taylor was an early feminist figure and sister to William Waring Taylor.
Leeds Street is recognized for the Hannah Footwear Factory, originally known as R Hannah & Co. and built in 1923. Robert Hannah emigrated to New Zealand in the early 1860s to manufacture and sell boots to miners during the West Coast gold rush (1864-1867), opening his first shop on Lambton Quay in 1874.
The Eva Street site, formerly owned by W Crabtree & Sons, was purchased in 1922, and the factory was built in 1940 with architectural plans by Francis Swan.
The factory was converted to apartments and student accommodation in 1995, with the apartments remodeled and designed by Sir Ian Athfield.
In 2019 the Hannahs Laneway upgrade saw the area re-painted and developed into a boutique commercial area, with carparks painted with shoes in recognition of the lane’s heritage.
