James Leopold (Haast) von Haast (abt. 1868 - abt. 1956)

Born about May 1868 in Otago, New Zealand

Ancestors

Husband of Helena Maud (Alloo) von Haast — married about 1900 in New Zealand

Died about 1956 at about age 87 in Warringah, New South Wales, Australia [uncertain]

Biography

Leo was born in 1868. He is the son of Julius Haast and Mary Dobson. ^[1][2]

Leo was involved in many athletic pursuits in his early years, particularly involving water sports. He was prominent in sailing, rowing and swimming activities [to the extent that, in February, 1892, he was convicted for illegal bathing (on Marine Parade) "at a time other than that specified by the Borough by-laws" (at 1:30 pm)]. ^[3]

Another beachside episode was viewed very differently by the legal fraternity:

"A singular instance of canine sagacity is recorded in the Hawke's Bay Herald in connection with the recent southerly gale. The surf was breaking in immense waves over the Marine Parade, when a small dog, to which a little son of Dr Moore is very much attached, went over the sea wall just as a wave was receeding. The little boy jumped after his dog, and Mr Leo von Haast, seeing the child's imminent danger, leaped after him. Just as Mr von Haast was clambering back over the wall with the child, leaving the little dog to its fate, a big dog that had run up noted the omission and, leaping over in its turn, siezed the helpless little canine and brought him safely over the wall, human and canine rescuers just getting their burdens into safety as a great wave washed over the spot they had left." ^[4]

James Leopold von Haast and Helena Maud Alloo married in New Zealand about 1900 and had two children before migrating to Sydney, Australia in the late 1920s. ^[5]

Do you have information about von Haast? Please contribute to his biography. Everything on WikiTree is a collaborative work-in-progress.

Sources

• Nolden, S.; Burns, R.; Nathan, S. 2012: The Correspondence of Julius Haast and James Hector, 1862-1887. Geoscience Society of New Zealand miscellaneous publication 133D

• Papers Past, NZ

Footnotes

1. ↑ Note: The use of the "von" in the family name began only after Julius Haast received a hereditary knighthood from the Emperor of Austria in 1875.
2. ↑ Entered by Peter Knowles, Feb 23, 2013
3. ↑ Hawke's Bay Herald, 23 February, 1892.
4. ↑ Clutha Leader, 23 March, 1894.
5. ↑ Leo was on the NSW Electoral Rolls, Warringah Shire, from 1930 until 1954.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Peter Knowles for starting this profile.

Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Peter and others.