Obituary MR A. ANDERSON

Press, Volume C, Issue 29444, 21 February 1961, Page 15

Obituary MR A. ANDERSON

Thirty-two years as a county councillor and chairman for half that period is part of a notable record of service to the Ellesmere county established by Mr Albert Anderson, a widely-known and well respected Southbridge farmer, whose death occurred recently.

Mr Anderson was a son of Mr Andrew Anderson, who arrived at Lyttelton from Kirriemuir, Forfarshire, Scotland, in 1863, and took up farming in the Ellesmere district in 1877, eventually acquiring the well-known Shanzie property near Leeston. Mr Albert Anderson was born there and was trained to farming on his father’s estate. He served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force In the First World War and on his return farmed a property at Oamaru owned by his father. In 1925 he purchased the Crafthead estate at Southbridge, which had been held since the early day* of settlement by members of the Storry family, and carried -on a system of mixed farming with success. Elected to the Ellesmere County Council in 1927, Mr Anderson continued in office until 1959 when he did not seek re-election at the local body polls. For 16 years he was chairman of the council. He represented the council on the District Roads Council and Was chairman of Ward II of the New Zealand Counties’ Association and a member of the executive for seven years. Appointed in. 1929, he had a very long period of service as a member of the Selwyn Plantations Board, and was chairman of the North Rakaia River Board until its functions were taken over by the newly created North Canterbury Catchment Board, when he became a foundation member of that body During the Second World War Mr Anderson was chairman of the Ellesmere County Patriotic and Rehabilitation Committees and served on other wartime bodies. For a long time he was an active membet of Federated Farmers and its predecessor the Farmers’ Union, serving terms on both bodies as president of the Ellesmere branch. As county chairman his services were frequently sought and he gave a great deal of time to the 'furtherance of worthy causes. He was an elder, of the Presbyterian Church, with which he had a lifelong association. In 1926 Mr Anderson married Miss Ethelwyn Beattie, of Oamaru, whose death occurred eight months ago. He is survived by a son, Mr Albert Anderson, who farms the Crofthead property, and by a daughter, Miss Ethelwyn Anderson, a member of the teaching profession. Mr J. B. Anderson, a Leeston farmer, is a brother, and Mesdames Russel] (Oamaru) and Scott (Palmerston) are sisters of the late Mr Anderson.