Noted farming leader dies

Sir Walter Mulholland, a noted leader of the fanning community and a man who had a prominent part in the formation of the New Zealand Meat Board, has died at his home, "Ladybank," Darfield, in his eighty-fourth year. He devoted a lifetime to the farmers' causes, and for his services he received the O.B.E. in 1946 and was knighted in 1956. Sir Walter Mulholland was born at Darfield, and farmed there all his life. He became secretary to the Darfield branch of the Farmers' Union in 1904, and subsequently became North Canterbury president and Dominion president in the mid-1930s until the union became Federated Fanners. He was the first president, too, of the federation, and in retirement, remained an associate member of its Dominion council. Just after the First World War, Sir Walter Mulholland was engaged in discussions which led to the formation of the Meat Board at a time when desperate farmers were getting 90c a head for lambs, skins included. Armed with the support of the Prime Minister, Mr Massey, Sir Walter Mulholland at a conference of farmers from all parts of the country, moved a resolution that the board should have the power to decide whether or not it should trade in meat.

In the upshot, the motion was withdrawn, and the bill setting up the board gave it powers, as Sir Walter recalled after his retirement, to do practically anything. It was he who signed, on behalf of the farmers, the Government agreement which provided for standard prices for meat. Up to his retirement in 1961, Sir Walter Mulholland was the only surviving foundation member of the committee controlling the board's economic service. He was a foundation member of the Meat Research Institute Committee, and its chairman for many years, and was a director of the Meat Export Development Company. In the Second World War, at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, Sir Walter became a member of the War Council, a forerunner of the War Cabinet, and throughout the war he was actively engaged with the work of the Primary Production Council, a regulatory body that played a important part in directing the farmers' war effort. Sir Walter Mulholland was also a foundation member of the Wheat Board, from which he retired in 1967. He was an original member of the old Wheat Purchase Board in 1933, continued as a member when it became the Wheat Committee, and in turn the Wheat Board. Before 1933, he had been active in the formation of growers' pools, and was an original member, and for many years a director, of United Wheatgrowers (N.Z.), Ltd. He was an original member of the Wheat Research Committee when it was set up in 1927. In many other ways, Sir Walter Mulholland brought a depth of experience and wisdom to the counsels of farmers' and farming organisations. Other interests included foundation membership of the New Zealand Royal Agricultural Society, the New Zealand Standards Institute, the Canterbury and Courtenay agricultural and pastoral associations and the Canterbury Sheepfarmers' Union. He is survived by Lady Mulholland, and three children. [Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32762, 10 November 1971, Page 25]