BUNBURY, THOMAS (1791-1861) was the son of a military officer and was born at Gibraltar. In 1807 he received his ensigncy in the 90th Regiment, and he was later transferred to the 3rd Foot, with which he served in Portugal. With the 20th Portuguese infantry he entered France at the end of the Peninsula campaign. (Knight of the Tower and Sword). He came to New South Wales as a major in the 80th Regiment (1837), and was commandant at Norfolk Island until the withdrawal of the troops there.

In Mar 1840 Governor Gipps requested Bunbury to come to New Zealand, in view of the indisposition of Hobson; and, if necessary, to assume the lieutenant-governorship, and he sailed in the Buffalo with 100 men of his regiment. Finding Hobson improving in health but surrounded by difficulties and incompetent advisers, Bunbury came loyally to his assistance and carried through the duties which were necessary to complete British sovereignty in New Zealand. He proceeded in H.M.S. Herald to Port Nicholson and the far south, obtaining the signatures of chiefs to the treaty of Waitangi. At Thames and Coromandel he visited the chiefs in the tender Trent. Rejoining the Herald on 15 May, he proclaimed sovereignty at Sylvan Bay (Stewart Island) on 4 Jun, and at Cloudy Bay on 17 Jun. He was gazetted a magistrate of the territory in May 1841 and was deputy-governor in FitzRoy's absence from the seat of government (18 Jan 1844). A few weeks later he was relieved as senior officer in New Zealand by Col. W. Hulme. (C.B. 1846) Bunbury afterwards served in the Indian mutiny. He wrote a very entertaining book Reminiscences of a Veteran (1861).

G.B.O., 1841/311, 1842/569; Rusden; Bunbury, op. cit. (p); Buick, First War; and Waitangi (p); Scholefield, Hobson (p).

Reference: Volume 1, page 76

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