GUDGEON, WALTER EDWARD (1842-1920) was a son of T. W. Gudgeon (q.v.), with whom he came to Taranaki in the Berkshire (1850). Educated at Beardsworth's school in New Plymouth, he joined the volunteers in 1859, and in 1860 moved with his family to Wanganui. He was serving as sergeant-major of the Wanganui Maori contingent. His commission as ensign in the Wanganui militia was granted in 1865 to reward his gallantry in disarming a body of natives at Arei-ahi and thus assisting to turn the position at Weraroa and to induce its capitulation (21 Jul). He was at the relief of Pipiriki, and commanded the advance guard at Okotuku (4 Jan 1866), for which he was promoted lieutenant. Throughout the Patea and Titokowaru's campaigns and in the pursuit of Te Kooti through the Urewera, he commanded the native contingent.

On the day of the disaster at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu Gudgeon was left in charge of the camp. He was appointed to the Armed Constabulary when it was formed and at the conclusion of the war was appointed resident magistrate at Gisborne. He commanded a company at Parihaka (1881) and was left in command of the Constabulary at Manaia until 1885, when he was appointed major commanding the land forces at Wellington. He was acting Under-Secretary for Defence during the absence of Colonel Reader, and was then appointed commissioner of police and in 1897 a judge of the native land court.

In 1899 Gudgeon was sent to Rarotonga as Resident Commissioner to the Cook Islands (C.M.G. 1900). It was largely due to his influence that the chiefs agreed to cede their sovereignty, and he remained on afterwards as chief justice. He retired in 1909 and during the war of 1914-18 was a military censor. An excellent Maori scholar, Gudgeon contributed many papers to the Polynesian Journal and provided much of the material for his father's History and Traditions of the Maoris. He died on 5 Jan 1920.

Who's Who N.Z., 1908; Polyn. Jour., vol 29 (p); Gudgeon (p); Cowan (p); N.Z. Herald, 6 Jan 1920.

Reference: Volume 1, page 184

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