Early life and career Gaudin was born in
Wellington in 1877, his parents having migrated to New Zealand from
Jersey. He was educated at Te Aro School and
Wellington College. He was a participant in multiple sports as a youth, particularly
rugby and rowing. He was a captain of the
Wellington Rowing Club and later was the club president for over fifty years. He entered business as a merchant, later opening his own firm of coal and grain merchants, W. J. Gaudin and Sons. On 11 June 1902, Gaudin married Olive Banks at St Mark's Church, Wellington, and the couple went on to have four sons and two daughters. Gaudin Street in
Rongotai was named after his father, William Gaudin senior.
Political career At the
1919 local elections, Gaudin stood for the
Wellington City Council on the
Citizens League ticket, but was unsuccessful. At a
1920 by-election he was elected to the council, remaining a member until 1925 when he did not seek re-election. Despite retiring from the council, he contested another
by-election in 1926, but was defeated by the
Labour Party candidate
John Glover. At the
1927 election he was elected for a second spell on the council. He remained a member until 1947 when he retired. He was chairman of the council's library committee and was also elected president of the
New Zealand Library Association Inc. between 1936 and 1937. Ahead of the
1944 election he put himself forward for the mayoralty, one of two councillors challenging incumbent
Thomas Hislop for the Citizens' nomination. He was beaten by Hislop, but the challenge eventually led him to reconsider and retire (albeit reluctantly). Gaudin stood for parliament as an independent candidate at the in the electorate, but polled only 4.25% of the vote. In 1939, Gaudin was appointed a member of the
Wellington Hospital Board to fill a mid-term vacancy after the death of
Sarah Snow. His appointment was controversial as Ruby Muriel Collins was expected to be awarded the vacated seat owing to being the highest polling unsuccessful candidate at the 1938 election. Despite Gaudin not having contested the previous election, he was appointed by the city council to fill the vacancy. Labour councillors opposed this and voted for Collins, arguing it was more fitting to replace a female Labour member with a female Labour candidate. The appointment was also crucial as it shifted the balance of power on the board, giving the Citizens' a majority of 10 seats to 8 (having previously been 9 seats each). He remained a member until 1950 when he retired. From 1947 to 1950, he was the board's chairman, defeating the incumbent
Henry Toogood in a ballot by eleven votes to five at the first meeting of the term. Gaudin was a member of the
Wellington Harbour Board for one term from 1947 to 1950 for the Wellington City constituency.
Later life and death In the
1958 New Year Honours, Gaudin was appointed an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to local government in Wellington. In later life, Gaudin lived in
Paekākāriki. In November 1958, he suffered shock and scalp injuries when he drove his car off the road and rolled down a bank between
Pukerua Bay and
Plimmerton. Two passengers were also injured and all three were admitted to
Wellington Hospital. Gaudin died on 19 November 1969 at Wellington Hospital. He was survived by three of his sons and two daughters. His wife and one son had predeceased him. ==Personal life==