David Walter
Encyclopedia
David Ernest Walter is the immediate past Chairman of Taranaki Regional Council, past Chairman of Stratford County Council, and the first Mayor
of Stratford District Council.
. He was the grandson of former County Chairman and Member of Parliament
Edward Walter
, brother of former diplomat Neil Walter
, relative of All Black John Walter
, and cousin of All Black Alan Smith
.
, then returned to Douglas to work as the east-Taranaki stringer
for the Taranaki Daily News
while working the family sheep
and beef
farm
. He developed a knack for historical stories and human interest tales, and in 1977 accepted the role of Honorary county historian, with the aim of producing a publication for the 1990 centennial. The Stratford Inheritance was published in 1990 and authored by Ian Church, with significant input from Walter's work.
District Council or the South Taranaki District
Council was a distinct possibility. Walter was duly elected as the first Mayor of the Stratford District Council, a position he held for three terms (9 years) until retiring in 1998.
and retired in 2007. Walter has also played significant roles in a number of other organisations. He has chaired the TSB
Community Trust, served as Director of TSB Bank, and represented the Regional Council on the board of Westgate Transport Ltd.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Stratford District Council.
Family background
Walter was born in Douglas, TaranakiDouglas, Taranaki
Douglas is a lowly populated locality and a rural centre in east Taranaki, surrounded by dairy, sheep and beef pastoral farming. It is situated 18 km east of Stratford at the intersection of East Road, Ohura Road, Douglas Road South and Bredow Road. East Road and Ohura Road meet to form State...
. He was the grandson of former County Chairman and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Edward Walter
Edward Walter
Edward Walter was a New Zealand politician from Taranaki. He was elected Reform Party member of parliament for Stratford in 1925, but was defeated in 1928.He was Chairman of the Stratford County Council from 1917 to 1925....
, brother of former diplomat Neil Walter
Neil Walter
Neil Douglas Walter, CNZM is a distinguished New Zealand diplomat, and is a former Administrator of Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand. He served from February 1988 until 1990, and again from March 1, 2003 to 17 October 2006.-Biography:...
, relative of All Black John Walter
John Walter (All Black)
John Walter was an All Black and Taranaki rugby football representative in the 1920s and 1930s.-Biography:...
, and cousin of All Black Alan Smith
Alan Smith (All Black)
Alan Edward Smith, All Black lock, was born on December 10, 1942, in Stratford, New Zealand. He was born into a farming family in Douglas, a small settlement east of Stratford, and received his secondary education at Stratford Technical College.-Career:...
.
Journalist and historian
Upon leaving home he worked as a journalist in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, then returned to Douglas to work as the east-Taranaki stringer
Stringer (journalism)
In journalism, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist or photographer who contributes reports or photos to a news organization on an ongoing basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work....
for the Taranaki Daily News
Taranaki Daily News
The Taranaki Daily News is a daily morning newspaper published in New Plymouth, New Zealand.The paper was founded as the Taranaki News on May 14, 1857, by friends of former Taranaki Province Superintendent Charles Brown. Brown was the first proprietor of the newspaper and he appointed his political...
while working the family sheep
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
and beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. He developed a knack for historical stories and human interest tales, and in 1977 accepted the role of Honorary county historian, with the aim of producing a publication for the 1990 centennial. The Stratford Inheritance was published in 1990 and authored by Ian Church, with significant input from Walter's work.
Local politics
In 1974 Walter was elected as a Stratford County councillor, and in 1983 was appointed Chairman. He continued in this role until the County Council merged with the Stratford Borough Council to form the Stratford District Council as part of nationwide local government reforms in 1989. He played a significant role in preserving Stratford's independence when amalgamation with either the New PlymouthNew Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
District Council or the South Taranaki District
South Taranaki District
South Taranaki is a territorial authority on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island that contains the towns of Hawera, Manaia, Opunake, Patea, Eltham, and Waverley...
Council was a distinct possibility. Walter was duly elected as the first Mayor of the Stratford District Council, a position he held for three terms (9 years) until retiring in 1998.
Regional politics
After 15 years at the helm of local government and 24 years on County and District Councils, Walter moved on from territorial politics to become a Taranaki Regional Councillor. In November 2001 he replaced inaugural Chairman Ross Leslie AllenRoss Leslie Allen
Ross Leslie Allen, commonly called Ross Allen, is a retired New Zealand politician who served as the first chairman of Taranaki Regional Council from 1989 to 2001. He was involved in local government for 27 years, beginning in 1974 when he was elected as a member of Taranaki County Council...
and retired in 2007. Walter has also played significant roles in a number of other organisations. He has chaired the TSB
Taranaki Savings Bank
TSB Bank is a nationwide bank based in New Plymouth, New Zealand.- History :TSB Bank received its first deposit under the banner of the New Plymouth Savings Bank on the 28 September 1850 from Waitera te Karei. The deposited sum was 34 pounds...
Community Trust, served as Director of TSB Bank, and represented the Regional Council on the board of Westgate Transport Ltd.