He was awarded by the Royal Commissioners the silver medal of the New Zealand Exhibition for an "Essay on the Ornithology of New Zealand," which was published by command, and afterwards reprinted with other essays in the "Transactions of the New Zealand Institute."
In 1866 he was appointed Resident Magistrate of Wanganui, whicii position he held till 1871, when he went to England as secretary to the Agent-General (Dr. Featherston). Before his jeturn to the colony, three years later, he was called to the bar by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, and had produced, his well-known work "A History of the Birds of New Zealand," every copy of this beautifully illustrated book having been subscribed for before the last page went to press, several crowned heads being amongst the subscribers.
He also took an active part in the Vienna Exhibition of 1872, and Dr. Featherston, in his official report to the Government, declared that the great success which had attended the New Zealand Court was mainly owing to his individual zeal and energy.
But it will be by reason of his researches in New Zealand ornithology that the name of Sir Walter Buller will be best remembered, and we believe it was his peculiar distinction to be the first native-born New-Zealander to gain recognition throughout the world for his exertions in the field of science, just as he was also, as we believe, the first native-born NewZealander to receive the honour of a title from the hands of his Sovereign.
The University of Tubingen conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Science, and he received decorations from the Emperor of Austria, the King of Wurtemburg, and the Grand Duke of Hesse; and the London Daily Telegraph in a leading article described the author of the "Birds of New Zealand" as "the Audubon of New Zealand."
On his return to New Zealand in 1874 Dr. Buller was admitted a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court, and for some years was actively engaged in the practice of his profession. He devoted himself largely to Native work, and on one occasion received from Mr. Justice Gillies the graceful tribute of being "the supreme advocate for the Maori race." In 1875 Dr. Buller was made a C.M.G., in recognition of his labours, and in 1870 he achieved the "blue riband of science" by election as a Fellow of the Royal Society.
In the midst of professional business he continued to make contributions to zoological literature, besides publishing some interesting papers on Maori subjects, and in 1882, at the invitation of the New Zealand Government, he prepared for official publication a "Manual of the Birds of New Zealand," illustrated by photo-lithographic prints from the plates in his larger work. In 1883 he received from the New Zealand Exhibition the gold medal for science and literature.
In 1886 he returned to England as New Zealand Commissioner at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, and in the same year was promoted to the rank of K.C.M.G. In 1887 he was awarded the Galleian medal by the Royal University of Florence, and in 1888 he published a much larger edition of the "Birds of New Zealand" (two volumes).
Besides the honours already mentioned. Sir Walter Buller held the rank of Officier of the Legion of Honour, besides being Officier of l'Instruction Publique (Gold Palm of the Academy), Knight First Class of the Order of Francis Joseph of Austria, and Knight Commander of the Crown of Italy. For many years he represented the colony on the permanent governing body of the Imperial Institute.
