He had intended retiring in 1890 but at the request of the government conducted the 1891 census. Hayter wrote several works including Notes of a Tour in New Zealand, Notes on the Colony of Victoria, a short history and a geography of Victoria for use in Victorian State schools, and of a Handbook to the Colony of Victoria, as well as a Nosological Index used throughout Australasia for classifying the causes of death. He wrote many papers which were read before scientific societies in various parts of the world and also produced some poetical works.
Initially, he had planned to retire in 1890 but was persuaded by the government to conduct the 1891 census instead. Hayter wrote several books, including Notes on a trip to New Zealand, educational materials for Victoria, a concise history of the colony, and a guidebook to Victoria, as well as an index for classifying deaths across Australasia. He also shared his research at various scientific societies globally and created poetic pieces.