KENNAWAY, SIR WALTER (1835-1920) a native of Exeter, was a son of William Kennaway, of a well-known Devonshire family. When his education was finished (at the Mount Radford school, Exmouth), his father purchased land orders in the proposed Canterbury settlement for the three brothers (Walter, Laurence and John).

Walter arrived in Lyttelton in the ship Canterbury in Oct 1851, and they at once took up a small farm in the Heathcote valley, which was worked by John for many years. In company with F. W. Delamain, Laurence and Walter squatted in 1854 on the Alford run, in the forks of the Ashburton. They claimed 50,000 acres, but were eventually awarded 20,000. The partnership with Delamain was dissolved in 1860, and the Kennaways took up the Opawa and Rollesby runs. Later they had a run farther south, with out-station at Burke's Pass, where they endured the hardships of early settlers in Canterbury. Some of their experiences are recounted in Laurence Kennaway's book Crusts (published after his return to England in 1874). When they took up the Burke's Pass place they had to go 180 miles in order to get clean sheep, and had then to drive them by a circuitous route along the foothills in order to avoid scab-infected country. Walter was one of the first to drive a bullock wagon through Burke's Pass.

Kennaway made an attempt in 1865 to get into the Provincial Council (for Geraldine) but was defeated by William Gosling by 11 votes to 5. Two years later he was elected to the Provincial Council for Mount Cook. This he represented 1867-70, and Seadown 1870-74. He was a member of Hall's executive in 1870 and 1871, and in 1872 he formed an executive which held office until the first week of 1874. Kennaway came into office as the result of a motion he moved in the interests of the out-districts, which he believed were not being fairly treated in the expenditure of public moneys. Once his administration was defeated by a single vote, but the mover was taken into the executive, which then carried on. As secretary for public works, Kennaway had control of the construction of railways in Canterbury under the Vogel development policy, and the letting of the contract for harbour improvement at Lyttelton. He was eventually defeated on a proposal of his government to introduce a general manager of railways from England. He resigned from the Council.

Kennaway had some part in drafting the Canterbury education ordinance. This established a non-sectarian system which provided that on one day in each week teachers of religion could enter the schools to teach the Bible to their own pupils. He was also responsible for setting aside over 300,000 acres of public lands as endowments for Canterbury College, the School of Agriculture and other institutions. He was a governor of Canterbury College (1873-74) and for some years commissioner of crown lands.

In 1874 Kennaway accepted the post of secretary to the Agent-general in London, which he filled for the next 31 years under Featherston, Vogel, Bell and Reeves. In 1886 he was a commissioner for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London. In 1889, for his services in connection with the exhibition in Paris, he was made an officer of the French Academy. In 1891 he received the C.M.G.

Kennaway retired in 1909, and in that year was knighted. He died on 24 Aug 1920. He married (1864) Alicia, daughter of J. E. Jones. The Kennaway brothers about 1874 returned to live in Devon.

Canterbury P.C. Proc.; Acland; Cox; Kennaway, op. cit.; N.Z. Times, 29 Apr 1909; The Press, 13 Nov 1909, 21 Jun 1930 (p).

Reference: Volume 1, page 247

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