Edmund Percy Bunny

Bunny was born in Wellington, a son of administrator and politician Henry Bunny. He attended both Nelson College and Wellington College before studying at Canterbury University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts. At university he played rugby for the university team and took part in the first match against the Otago University team, retaining an interest in rugby and other sports all his life. He taught at Wellington College before practicing law in Wellington in 1889. He was admitted to the bar and served as a barrister. He became involved in the protection of the Hutt River and was involved in the establishment of the Hutt River Board.[1]

In 1898 he was elected to the Lower Hutt Borough Council.[2] In 1900 he was elected mayor of Lower Hutt unopposed after the resignation of Walter George Foster. In his year as mayor he coordinated the efforts to rebuild the main bridge over the Hutt River.[3] He also passed the first building regulations and by-laws to control new constructions in the borough.[4] He served for one year before he was defeated by Orton Stevens.[5] In 1909 he was elected for a second spell as mayor. The councils in-between had spent heavily on upgrading infrastructure and ran out of money for any further expenditure. Bunny's new council (all but one member of the previous council had been voted out) presided over a period of financial austerity to cut costs and both raised rates and borrowed a ₤10,000 loan to repay debts.[6]

He died in 1941 aged 77, survived by his wife and three daughters. His son was killed during World War I.[1]

• McGill, David (1991). Lower Hutt – The First Garden City. Petone, New Zealand: The Lower Hutt City Council. ISBN 1-86956-003-5.

• Media related to Edmund Percy Bunny at Wikimedia Commons