DEATH OF SIR WALTER BULLER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13651, 21 July 1906, Page 10

DEATH OF SIR WALTER BULLER.

(Pbb TJkitkp Prows As««nj*TtoT».) WELLINGTON, July 20. News has been received here of the death in London of Sir Walter Buller. Mr Anderson, who is a business partner of Sir Walter Buller's son. Mr Percy Buller., received a cable message this morning staling that Sir Walter's illness had taken a critical turn, and shortly afterwards came a second message to announce that death had occurred. Sir Walter had been in poor health during the past 12 months, his heart being Iho main cause of the trouble, Sir Waller had been residing at Pondlair Lod;e. Fleet Hants, near London, with his only daughter, (he wife of Major Madocks, who. was on Lord Rnnfurly'-i staff when his Lordship was Governor of New Zealand. The olher members of tho deceased gentleman's family are two sons—Messrs l.eo and A. Percy Buller, both of whom left Wellington for London in March last, and wero at Homo when their father passed awav.

The following sketch is taken from Mention's Dictionary of Australasian Bio-srap-hv:—Sir Walter Lawry Biil'cr, K.C.M.G.. D.Pc, F.R.S., the." dmcendant. of an ancient Cornish family and the oldest surviving son of tho late Rev. James Duller, wan horn on October 9, 1833, at Newark, Bay of Island. New Zealand, and was educated at Wesley College, Auckland. Jl'ivinL' early acquired a knowledge of the Maori language, lie was appointed Government interpreter at. Wellington in 1855, and started and edited a weekly Maori paper called Te Karero o Poneke. In 1869 he was made Nalive Commissioner for tho Southern Provinces, and carried through the partition and individualisation of the Kaiapoi Native Reserve. Tn 1861 ho acted as lion, secretary to the Kohimarania Conference of Native, chiefs, convened by Governor Gore Brown: and in the same year edited th" Maori Messenger, !i fortnightly paper in English and Maori, being afterwards also promoter and editor of the Maori Intelligencer (botli of them Government pttMieations). In April. 1852, he was appointed resident magistrale of the Manawatii. and in April, 1865, judge of the Native Land Court. In the same vear he was present at. the taking of Wer.-yoa Pa (Volunteer staff), for which he received the New Zealand war medal. On that occasion, declining the protection of a. military escort, he carried the Governor's despatches at nisrht through 40 miles of tho enemy's country, attended only by a Maori orderly, for which gallant service he was mentioned in despatches. Tn ISfifc lie becamo resident magistrate and sheriff of Wanganui, which office he held till 1871, when ho went, tn England as secretary to the Agent-jronoral. For a continuous period of 15 years he hud held various officio] appointments, chiefly in connection with Native affairs, and had on eight different occasions received the special thanks\ of the fWonial Government. He entered as a student, at the Inner Temple on November V.O. 1871. and was called to the Bar on Juno 6, 1874. In the same year he returned to New Zealand, and practised as a hamster and solicitor of the Supremo Court with remarkable success till 1866. when ho visited England as commissioner in connection with tho Colonial and Indian Exhibition. For Ids services on this occasion he was created 1C.0.M.G., having been made a C.M.G. in 1875 in recognition of his researches in Xew Zeiknd ornithology. In 1876 lie was elected F.R.S. on the same account. Sir Walter remained in Entrland till 1890. and took an active part in all public movements affecting the colonics. He was on the Mansion Moire Committee for tho Paris Exhibition, 1889, and was elected a member of the Executive Council. For Ids services on that occasion he was decorated " Officer" in the Legion of Honour. As early as 1865 he obtained the silver medal of the New Zealand Exhibition for an "Essay on the Ornithology of New Zealand." and sulieequputlv published a splendid illustrated "History of the Birds of Now Zealand." T n 188? he prepared for the Government a "Manual of tho Birds of Now Zealand," and in 1888 brought out a second edition of his larger work. Besides enioying the dwnitv of 1 British order. Sir Walter was. a Knjtrht (First Class) Austrian Order of Francis Joseph, First Class Order of Frederick of Wuhtemburg, Order of Merit (First Cls.ssi of Hes--o-T)arinstadt. and "Officer de I'lnstruction Publique" (Gold Palm of tho Academy). He was awarded the Galileian medal bv the Roval University of Florence, and received the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University cf Tubingen. In 1881 he received the sold medal of the New Zealand Exhibition for science and literature, and was elected a Governor of tho New Zealand Institute, of which lie was also one of the founders. He married in 1862 Charlotte, third dautrhtor of Gilbert Ma ; r. of Auckland, who died on November 1. ]891. Of late vcars Sir Walter had been residing in London.