Walter M. Giffard  Walter Le Montais Giffard (May 27, 1856 – June 30, 1929) was a Hawaiian diplomat and a member of Liliʻuokalani's Privy Council of State. He was born on the Island of Jersey in Great Britain and moved to Hawaii at a young age, working his way up through the W. G. Irwin & Co., Ltd organization to partnership and trustee. Giffard was one of the consulting landscape architects for the grounds of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. He was influential in the agricultural quarantine to protect Hawaii's sugar cane fields, and helped introduce the Yellow Caledonia cane to the growers. He was born May 27, 1856, Island of Jersey, Great Britain, relocated to Hawaii in 1875 and was employed as a clerk by Honolulu merchant John T. Waterhouse. About a year later, he began working for W. G. Irwin & Co., Ltd as a bookkeeper, and by 1890 was secretary and treasurer. Irwin was then president and manager, with Claus Spreckels as vice president. Over the next several years, Giffard worked his way up in Irwin's company to become vice-president. He was a director and co-trustee with W. G. Irwin for all affiliated corporations under the Irwin umbrella. His diplomatic service included Acting Chancellor of the French Legation in Hawaii for three years, Acting French Commissioner and Consul General for one year; Acting Commissioner and Consul General for Portugal in Hawaii for three months. He was appointed to Liliʻuokalani's Privy Council of State on August 25, 1891, but did not attend the council meetings, so as to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest with his diplomatic obligations. In 1896, the legislature of the Republic of Hawaii authorized an increase in postal rates for 1897, and ordered that all existing unused postage in the old denominations to be destroyed. Giffard was appointed to the Committee to Destroy Postage Stamps, Postcards and Stamped Envelopes, that oversaw the destruction. It was estimated that over $100,000 (Hawaiian dollars) worth of the old postage (in denominations from 3¢ to $1) was incinerated. Giffard was with the Honolulu Park Commission for eight years and three months, for the period January12, 1904 through October 21, 1912. He served on the Board of Agriculture and Forestry in 1903, becoming its president for 1907. He continued as a member of the board up through 1923.