Border Leicester breeder dies

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33487, 19 March 1974, Page 4

Border Leicester breeder dies

Mr Robert Sutherland . Gunn, of Darfield, who - died last week, was one Jof the country’s top ' Border Leicester sheep ■ breeders and a man who ■| was held in very high regard. He was 88. The son of the late Mr Alexander Gunn, he was b.orn i at Darfield and attended the; •‘Waddington School. In 1922: >he took over his fathers; ■ Hawkes View farm at Race■icourse Hill and continued to ■farm there until 1953 when ; he retired to Darfield. 1. Mr Gunn, a breeder of Border Leicester and Southdown sheep, was responsible for persuading many; jyounger men to breed Boride.r Leicesters. From 1940 to; <1946 he was a member of; the council of the South-; ;down Sheep Society. For' i many years he judged both ■ breeds at agricultural and; jpastoral shows. For a long period he was; la member of the council of I the New Zealand SheepI breeders’ Association and; was a former vice-president; Jof the Royal Agricultural ■ Society of New Zealand. . i At the time of the centennial show in 1950, Mr! Gunn was president of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association and at the time of his death was; patron on the Malvern Agricultural and Pastoral Associ-

ation, of which he was also a former president. During World War II he was chairman of the Darfield Patriotic Committee and after the war was active ■in assisting with the settlement of former servicemen. He was also a former advisory member of the Darfield Young Farmers’ Club. He was a member of the : Malvern County Council ifrom 1950 to 1962. A former president of the Darfield Cricket Club. Mr Gunn played for Kimberley and Sheffield in his younger days and fpr many years was a Malvern representative. At the time of his death, he Was also patron of the Darfield Garden Club. Mr Gunn, who was a Justice of the Peace, is survived by his wife and two sons — Mr R-. E. Gunn, of Race-; course Hill, and Mr D. S. Gunn, of Wainui. Another son, Graham, was killed during World War 11.