William Taverner (New Zealand politician)

William Burgoyne Taverner (16 August 1879 – 17 July 1958) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for the United Party, and Mayor of Dunedin.

Member of Parliament
Taverner represented the Dunedin electorate of Dunedin South from 1928 to 1931 for the United Party, when he was defeated by Fred Jones.

Under Joseph Ward, he was Minister of Railways (1928–1930), Minister of Customs (1928–1929), and Commissioner of State Forests (1928–1930). Under George Forbes, he was Minister of Public Works (1930–1931), and Minister of Transport (1930–1931).

Mayor and city councillor
Taverner was one of Dunedin's longest serving city councillors and was the mayor of Dunedin from 1927 to 1929. In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1953 New Year Honours, for services to the community.