George Fairfowl Macarthur (1825-1890)

Obituary
of our readers will learn with regret that the Rev. G. F. Macarthur died yesterday of heart disease at his residence, Ashfield. In 1832 Mr. Macarthur was admitted one of the first pupils to King's School, then funded and opened temporarily in George-street, Parramatta, under the mastership of the Rev. Robert Forrest. When Mr. Forrest left the school in 1841 Mr. Macarthur went with him to Campbelltown, where he remained 18 months. After that he studied for a time under the Rev. Dr. Woolls; and, finally, in 1844-5, under the Rev. James Walker, M.A. It was in 1848 that he was admitted to deacon's orders, and appointed one of the curates of St. James' Church, Sydney. In the same year he received the appointment of garrison chaplain. In 1850-1 he had charge of the Holy Trinity parish, in the absence on leave of the incumbent. He was subsequently appointed incumbent of St Mark's, Alexandria. During his tenure of St Mark's parish the church and school were built and the parsonage added to. The work involved so much labour on the part of Mr. Macarthur that he broke down in health. After an interval spent in recruiting he resigned the cure and opened a grammar school at Macquarie Fields, and threw his heart and soul into the work of education. In 1866 King's School was closed. Having failed to fulfil the purposes for which it was granted, the Government appeared to be about to resume the site and use the building for an asylum. Mr. Macarthur was much concerned about this and communicated with the Bishop on the subject. The result was that Mr. Macarthur was requested to take charge of and re-open the school, whioh he did, though suffering a pecuniary loss. It is now just four years since Mr. Macarthur resigned the headmastership of the school. After a brief interval he settled down in Ashfield, where his death took place yesterday morning.

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