George Macfarlan was a 19th century Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 representing the Lyttelton electorate

Lyttelton (New Zealand electorate)

Lyttelton is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1853–90, and again from 1893–1996, when it was replaced by the Banks Peninsula electorate.-Population Centres:...

.

Professional career

Macfarlan was the only son of the Rev. George Macfarlan of Gainford, County Durham

Gainford, County Durham

Gainford on Tees is a village on the north bank of the River Tees in County Durham, England. It is half-way between Barnard Castle and Darlington, near Winston, at OS map reference NZ 1716....

. He was educated at Shrewsbury School

Shrewsbury School

Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...

 before attending Trinity College

Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

 in Cambridge

Cambridge

The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...

, where he obtained a "very high degree", passing his final exams in 1860 as fourteenth wrangler.

He moved to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 to qualify as a lawyer, and was called to the bar by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple

Inner Temple

The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...

 in June 1863.

Macfarlan came out to Canterbury, New Zealand

Canterbury, New Zealand

The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...

 in January 1864. He was in partnership with William Sefton Moorhouse

William Sefton Moorhouse

William Sefton Moorhouse was a New Zealand politician. He was the second Superintendent of Canterbury Province.-Early life:...

, prior to Moorhouse being elected Superintendent

Superintendent (politics)

Superintendent was the elected head of each Provincial Council in New Zealand from 1853 to 1876.-Historical context:Provinces existed in New Zealand from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. After the initial provinces pre-1853, new provinces were formed by the New Zealand...

 for the Canterbury Provincial Council

Canterbury Province

The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south...

 in May 1866 for the second time, with their office located in Cathedral Square

Cathedral Square, Christchurch

Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located...

. After that, he was a solicitor with Macfarlan and Nottidge, also located in the central town square. He was an occasional contributor to the Lyttelton Times

Lyttelton Times

The Lyttelton Times was the first newspaper in Canterbury, New Zealand, publishing the first edition in January 1851. It was established by the Canterbury Association as part of its planned settlement of Canterbury and developed into a liberal, at the time sometimes seen as radical, newspaper...

.

Political career

Macfarlan was elected in a 1 July 1867 by-election following the resignation of Edward Hargreaves

Edward Hargreaves

Edward Allan Hargreaves was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Canterbury, New Zealand.He represented the Town of Lyttelton electorate from 1866 to 1867, when he resigned. He was succeeded by George Macfarlan.-References:...

. He represented the electorate for just over one year until his death.

Death

He died at the Wellington Club in Wellington

Wellington

Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

 from a fever at the young age of 30 years. He was buried at the Bolton Street Cemetery in Wellington. His funeral was attended by about 30 Members of both Houses of Parliament. His grave, together with a large area of the Bolton Street Cemetery, was removed in the late 1960s / early 1970s to make way for the Wellington Urban Motorway

Wellington Urban Motorway

The Wellington Urban Motorway, part of SH 1, is the major road into and out of Wellington, New Zealand. It is 7 km long, ranges from three to six lanes wide, and extends from the base of the Ngauranga Gorge into the Wellington CBD....

. Macfarlan was not married.