The Newcastle Morning Herald of Newcastle, New South Wales records the following :
"Cabinet-maker, general furnisher and undertaker, Walter Neve, was born in Sussex, England 1n 1841. When 20 years of age he came to Queensland and after 9 months sailed to New Zealand where he resided for 18 months. In 1865 he came to Newcastle and started in business in a small way. He was drowned in the surf at Newcastle beach 30 December 1907. He was married and had three sons and two daughters."
I have nothing on Walter Neve except a reference about his marriage to Martha Lucas in 1875. I found this reference in the microfiche for births, deaths and marriages. (Noel Bailey 14 June 1993)
Walter Neve's grave is in the Presbyterian section of Sandgate Cemetery with some of his family. I have a newspaper clipping about a building in the Hunter Street Mall in which Walter Neve had his furniture store late 1800s. He drowned at Ocean Beach Newcastle whilst bathing. He was listed as an undertaker.
From the Hunter Valley Register 1884-1886 oddments volume: Neve Walter, King Street, Newcastle. During the period 10.12.1884 to 12.12.1890 he attended 188 interments. From the Hunter Valley Register 1891 to 1900 Reg 3 page 607: Neve, Walter, Cabinet maker, general furnisher, best known as an
undertaker. He owned his own hearses, did not hire them from Mcauliffe as so many other undertakers did. Had the Government & Hospital contract for pauper burials at 30/- a head. See also a reference to his father's death on his father's biography. Walter Stride Neve. (Noel Bailey 18 Nov 1993.)