MR ALEXANDER SOUNNESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25428, 8 January 1944, Page 6

MR ALEXANDER SOUNNESS

Mr Alexander Sounness, who died at Invercargill last month, was a pioneer settler of the Dominion. Born at East Taieri in 1864, he was the second son of Mr and Mrs John Sounness, who had come from Scotland with the very early immigrants. He was educated at the Otokia School, after which he took up farming. He married Miss Isabella Sutherland, of Otokia, in 1891, when he was farming on the Taieri Plain where during his 30 years’ residence he transformed his property from swamp and tussock to a highly productive area. He was a foundation member of the Taieri River Board and chairman for a term. He was also a member of the Drainage Board and the Momona School Committee, while he took an active interest in the Taieri Agricultural Show. Mr Sounness moved to a property at Geraldine, later disposing of this farm to live in retirement in Temuka for two years. The call of the land was too great, however, and he took over the well-known Bayswater property in the Western District where he had lived ever since. He was a member "of the Otautau River Board, and for several years he was an active member of the Otautau Progressive League. A good judge of fat stock Mr Sounness won many prizes with both fat cattle fat lambs and sheep at the Taieri, Dunedin, and Invercargill shows. Mrs Sounness died over a year ago, while his eldest son, Mr John Sounness, died four years ago. He is survived by two daughters, Misses Alexandria and Margaret Sounness, and a son, Mr William Sounness, all of Bayswater.