Walter Clarke Buchanan

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Walter Clarke Buchanan (20 June 1838 - 19 July 1924) was a New Zealand politician. He was born in Kilmodan, Argyllshire, Scotland, attended Greenock Academy,^[1] and moved to Australia at the age of 18, where he became a farmer. Around 1863 he moved to New Zealand.

Buchanan entered politics in 1881, representing first Wairarapa South from 1881 to 1887, and then Wairarapa from 1887 to 1899, 1902 to 1905 and 1908 to 1914. He was in Parliament for much of the next 33 years, losing three elections.

He lost Wairarapa to John Hornsby the frequent Liberal Party candidate for the seat in 1899, won it back in 1902, lost it in 1905 and won it back in 1908. He finally lost the seat to Hornsby in 1914.

In the House, he was a staunch conservative voice, and a diehard opponent of the Liberal government of Richard Seddon.

Buchanan was knighted in 1912 and appointed to the Legislative Council in 1915. Despite his long experience in politics, he was never appointed a Minister (partly as from 1891 to 1914 the Liberals were in power).