General William Henry Adelbert Feilding (6 January 1836 – 25 March 1895) was a British soldier of the Coldstream Guards.

Finding the land and conditions of sale and settlement in Australia were not in line with the expectations of the Corporation, Feilding sailed for New Zealand and arrived in Auckland on 2 December 1871.

Co-operation was such that Feilding was able to request a rough draft of possible conditions the New Zealand Government would be prepared to offer the Corporation by the very next day.

The two men were guided by James Whisker, who with his brother-in-law John Hughey leased land from the Ngati Kawhata on the banks of the Oroua River.

During his exploration of the area Feilding spent several restless and feverish nights plagued by mosquitoes which bit him even through his corduroy trousers; he had to borrow a pair of slippers to be able to hobble around as his feet were so swollen.

A horribly wet winter had made conditions even more miserable for those who had been expecting green fields and landscape similar to what they had left behind in England.

Feilding spoke to an open-air meeting of settlers from the veranda of the Corporation's office, giving practical advice on coming to terms with their life, and sympathy for those who had found the going tough.