Alexander and Jane Hastie were the parents of a large settler family that arrived in Dunedin on the Jura in 1856. Jane Kitchen was born in Roslyn, Edinburgh, on 19 February 1814, the daughter of a flour mill worker. Alexander Hastie was born about 20 kilometres to the west, in Uphall, West Lothian in December 1815. They married in Edinburgh on 3 June 1839, and went on to have five sons and four daughters together. Alexander worked as a greengrocer in Edinburgh and the family prospered. Professionally-painted portraits of three of their sons as children in Edinburgh can be seen in the top row of this wall of portraits.
The Hasties decided to make the move to Otago and emigrated in 1856. Alexander immediately started business on Crawford Street and was variously described as a contractor, carter, wharf carter, and dray proprietor. In August 1859 Alexander used his savings to buy three residential sections in York Place. He built a house on one section on what is now 275 York Place. In the early 1860s, Alexander bought 116 acres in Taieri, and called the property ‘Bruntsfield’ after a golf course that was close to the Hasties’ old home in Edinburgh. Around 1867, Alexander handed his business over to his sons, who continued running the business for 22 years as T. & A. Hastie Carriers.
The family was struck by tragedy in 1870. With reports of bad flooding in West Taieri, their eldest son James was worried about Alexander and Jane out at ‘Bruntsfield’. Attempting to make his way to them from Dunedin, he was tragically drowned in the attempt. Shortly afterwards, Alexander handed over his York Street properties to his surviving sons and in 1876 he bought residential sections at Allanton. Jane died suddenly in 1889, aged 74. Alexander survived her by seven years, dying in 1896, aged 81.
Mr and Mrs Alexander Hastie (née Jane Kitchen)