Douglas Hastings Macarthur was born in Edinburgh, in 1839. He came to New Zealand in 1856, and farmed land near Collingwood before trying his hand at mining. He was part of the 'unofficial' gold rush in Collingwood, and like so many others, attempted to seek fortune further afoot on the goldfields of Marlborough, Otago, Westland, and Nelson.
In 1872, Macarthur was back in the Collingwood District, and by some stroke of luck, was named a sub-agent for the settlement of the Manchester Block. When Arthur Halcombe relinquished the management of the Feilding settlement, it was Macarthur who succeeded him, being appointed through London.
At any rate, after his early gold-seeking days, Macarthur became a prominent figure in the Feilding District. He was the first Mayor of Feilding, Chairman of the Manawatu Highway Board, Chairman of the Manawatu and Oroua counties, and Captain of the Manchester Rifles. In 1884, he was elected Member of the House of Representatives for the Manawatu, and then re-elected in 1887. He then took a turn at representing Rangitikei in 1890, two years before his sudden death at age 53. According to the eulogies given at his funeral, he was regarded as the coming Treasurer of the Opposition Party, and he had also been suggested for the post of Agent-General in London.