Walter Edward Davidson

Sir Walter Davidson KCMG


Governor of New South Wales
In office 17 February 1918 – 15 September 1923
Monarch	George V
Premier	William Holman John Storey James Dooley George Fuller James Dooley George Fuller
Preceded by	Gerald Strickland
Succeeded by	Dudley de Chair
Governor of Newfoundland
In office 15 January 1913 – 15 September 1917
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	Edward Morris
Preceded by	Ralph Champneys Williams
Succeeded by	Charles Alexander Harris
Personal details
Born	20 April 1859 Valletta, Crown Colony of Malta
Died	15 September 1923 (1923-09-16) (aged 64) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Spouse(s)	Margaret Feilding
Alma mater	Christ's College, Cambridge

Viceregal styles of Sir Walter Davidson

Reference style	His Excellency
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Alternative style	Sir

Sir Walter Edward Davidson, KCMG (20 April 1859 – 15 September 1923) was a colonial Administrator and diplomat. He served periods as Governor of the Seychelles, Governor of Newfoundland and as Governor of New South Wales, where he died in office.

Born in April 1859 at Valletta on the Crown Colony of Malta, Davidson was the son of James Davidson of Killyleagh, Ireland, an agent for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. After being educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford, Davidson graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge. In 1880 he entered the Ceylon Civil Service and, by 1898, had risen to be Chairman of the Colombo Municipal Council and Mayor of Colombo (1897–1898). Following the peace treaty for the Second Boer War in South Africa in May 1902, Davidson was on 21 June appointed Colonial Secretary in the Colony of Transvaal, and thus a member of the executive council of the governor, Lord Milner. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) later the same year. In the following years he was involved in the post-Boer War reconstruction of the colony, until he left the office in 1904.