Background
Walding was born in Christchurch in 1926.
Walding was born in Christchurch in 1926.
He represented the Palmerston North for several terms. After his retirement from Parliament, he became High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, but died within months of taking the post. He went to school in that city.
When he was 15, he joined the New Zealand Merchant Navy and later the British Merchant Navy.
The impressions that he gained through the war shaped his outlook on life. He became a carpenter after the war, working in the Wellington area.
They had six daughters. After the marriage, the couple moved to Palmerston North.
Walding joined his mother"s catering business, Smith and Walding.
In 1957, Walding established Prepared Foods Company Limited, a gourmet food and canning business with an export focus. Walding was first elected to Palmerston North City Council in 1959. Councillors were already elected for three year terms at that time.
He was re-elected in 1962 and 1965.
Having been elected to Parliament in 1967, he did not stand for the City Council again in 1968. Walding stood unsuccessfully against Bill Brown for the Palmerston North seat in the 1966 election.
Walding represented the Palmerston North electorate from 1967 to 1975, when he was defeated by John Lithgow, and from 1978 to 1981. Between 1972 and 1974, he was Minister of Overseas Trade, Minister for the Environment, and Minister of Recreation and Sport.
Six months prior to the 1981 election, he announced his retirement from Parliament.
In late 1984, he was appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Three months after starting the position, he died on 5 June 1985 in London.
Following Brown"s sudden death in 1967, Walding successfully contested the resulting 1967 by-election against four others: Gordon Cruden (National Party), John O"Brien (Social Cr Party), Goldingham (Progress) and P. J. Wedderspoon (Democratic Labour).