David Ernest Walter (25 November 1939 – 5 September 2020) was a New Zealand politician and journalist. He was the first mayor of Stratford District Council (1989–1998) and also served as chairman of both of the

Taranaki Regional Council Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth D ...

(2001–2007) and the Stratford County Council (1983–1989).

Early life and family

Walter was born on 25 November 1939 in Straftord, the son of Anita Walter (née Frethey) and Edward Ernest Walter. He was the grandson of former County Chairman and Member of Parliament

Edward Walter Edward Walter (15 January 1866 – 30 January 1932) was a New Zealand politician from Taranaki. Life Walter was born on 14 January 1866 in Stratton, Cornwall, England, and baptised on 8 February 1866, in Stratton Parish Church. He was the son ...

, brother of former diplomat

Neil Walter Neil Douglas Walter (born 1942) is a New Zealand diplomat, and a former Administrator of Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand. He served from February 1988 until 1990, and again from 1 March 2003 to 17 October 2006. Biography In his early care ...

, nephew of All Black

Jack Walter John Sproule Walter (6 November 1908 – 17 July 1971) was a Canadian middle-distance runner. He competed in the men's 800 metres at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Walter finished fourth in the 1930 British Empire Games The 1930 British Empire G ...

, and cousin of All Black Alan Smith. David Walter was educated at

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

Primary School and

New Plymouth Boys' High School New Plymouth Boys' High School is a single-sex boys' state secondary school in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. The school currently caters for approximately 1300 students, including 210 boarders, on its site. The school often collaborate ...

. In 1966, he married Isabel Carryer, and the couple went on to have three children.

Career

Journalist and historian

After leaving home, Walter worked as a journalist in Europe, 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 In journalism, a human-interest story is a feature story that discusses people or pets in an emotional way. It presents people and their problems, concerns, or achievements in a way that brings about interest, sympathy or motivation in the reader o ...

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.

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 Plymouth District Council or the South Taranaki District Council was a distinct possibility. Walter was duly elected as the first mayor of Stratford District Council, a position he held for three terms (nine years) until retiring in 1998. He reportedly originated the colloquial name for State Highway 43: the Forgotten World Highway. 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

lor. In November 2001 he replaced inaugural chairman Ross Allen and retired in 2007. Walter has also played significant roles in a number of other organisations. He chaired the TSB Community Trust, served as a director of TSB Bank, and represented the Regional Council on the board of Westgate Transport Ltd.

Honours and awards

In 1990, Walter was awarded the

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal was a commemorative medal awarded in New Zealand in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and was awarded to approximately 3,000 people. Background The New Zea ...

. In the 1995 Queen's Birthday Honours, Walter was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.

Later life and death

Walter died of leukaemia at his home in

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...