Michael T Tracy

David Dun (1836-1899) Michael T Tracy

Agriculture was in his blood from a very young age growing up on the Grange of Lindores in Abdie Parish, Fife, Scotland. Indeed, spanning back to his grandparents, David Dun and Jean Buist where, as tenant farmers in Kettle Parish, Fife they first farmed at Dempster. His brother, George Dun (1842-1930) was also a well-known and respected farmer for decades in the Grange in Upper Largo, Fife. By 1861 Dun relocated to Dunning Parish in Perthshire where he was a tenant farmer at Baldinnies and Inverdunning. In addition to farming David Dun rented a store on Castle Street in Dunning. Dun met and later married Ann Jane Walker in Ceres Parish, Fife and during the next nineteen years had ten children. In early 1880 David Dun along with his entire family left Scotland under engagement to Mr. William James Mudie Larnach to manage Larnach Castle known by locals as "The Camp" in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. He did not stay long in this position and began working as a manager for the auctioneer firm of Bastings, Leary & Company in Gore, Southland where the family settled. Dun purchased his own farm and was considered one of the foremost of district farmers and became Secretary of the Gore Farmers' Club. He would also write weekly columns of "Practical Farmer" based on his agricultural notes for the press. Dun was also one of the oldest members of the Gore Presbyterian Church and as its first Clerk was instrumental in the construction of the church. He was described as "a man of many parts, his knowledge not only of the science of which he was so able a professor, but of classical, scientific, literary, and political subject was astonishing in its breadth and only those whose privilege it was to hold converse with him on deeper things than those of which everyday life is composed, where able to appreciate the full extent of the man's learning and attainments. He would meet a tragic death at the age of 63. This then is the narrative of the life and times of David Dun.