Heinrich Albert Alfred Von Doussa was an Australian businessman and politician.
Background
Von Doussa was born in Adelaide the son of (Emil Louis) Alfred von Doussa (ca1809 – 17 December 1882), an officer of the Prussian army, who emigrated to South Australia in 1846 with his wife Anna Dorothea von Doussa, née Schach. He and his father travelled to Otago, New Zealand at the time of the gold rush.
Education
He was educated at T. West. Boehm"s German School in Hahndorf and Saint Peter"s College. On returning to South Australia he studied chemistry, and in 1868 was partner (with Carl Friedrich Gunther) in the Rundle Street pharmacy of Gunther and von Doussa.
Career
The partnership was dissolved in October 1869. He was elected to represent the Southern district in the South Australian Legislative Council in 1901, and was re-elected on several occasions. In August 1920, the Liberal Union refused to accept von Doussa"s nomination for preselection for the 1921 state election when he refused to sign a pledge stating that he would not contest the election if he were unsuccessful in obtaining Liberal preselection.
He subsequently contested the election as an independent, but was unsuccessful.
He was a keen cricketer, and for many years captained the Mount Barker Cricket Club. He held shares in several Western Australian gold-mines and was chairman of directors of Mount Benson Goldmining Company
He died at his home "Detmold", Hahndorf (at that time renamed Ambleside).
The Von Doussa Steeplechase, conducted every Easter Monday at Oakbank, was named in his honour. Alfred von Doussa (ca1848 – 1 August 1926) married Helena Theresa Doudy of Gawler on 5 October 1885
Alice von Doussa (6 January 1890 – 19 June 1927) married Leslie Cowan of Erindale on 28 February 1911
Dorothea von Doussa (7 November 1892 – ) married Doctor Hubert M. Jay of Burnside on 14 November 1914
Louis A. von Doussa (6 August 1894 – ) married Gwendoline Kathleen Hyman on 16 February 1926
(Charles) Louis von Doussa (17 May 1850 – 27 May 1932), lawyer and politician, was a brother.
Membership
He was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 1901 to 1921, representing Southern District. He was an ardent Freemason, a member of the Prince of Wales Lodge at Mount Barker. He was a crack shot with a rifle, and member of the Hahndorf Rifle Club, and its "King" in 1879 and 1880.