Walter Edward Gudgeon CMG (4 September 1841 – 5 January 1920) was a farmer, soldier, historian, land court judge, and colonial administrator.

Gudgeon was next given command of the Runanga redoubt, one of a string of forts built between Tapuaeharuru (Taupō) and Napier to restrict Te Kooti's movements.

Based at Ormond, he made typically astute land purchases and also met Edith Maria Best (sister of Elsdon Best), whom he married in Wellington on 16 January 1875.

They married at Napier on 24 January 1882 and had two sons, Herman and Melville (evidence of Gudgeon's erudition was thus transmitted to posterity), and two daughters, Gladys and Beryl.

[1] Gudgeon became a judge of the Native Land Court, sitting most notably in the King Country on the Rohe Potae case.

A quickly arranged visit 'for health reasons' by Seddon, who made lavish and mostly unfulfilled promises of aid, and some fast talking by Gudgeon persuaded the ariki to agree to be annexed to Great Britain and federated with New Zealand.

In the 1940s, John Cowie Reid gave plaudits for Gudgeon's account saying he showed respect for his Māori adversaries in his writings.