George Fairweather Moonlight (5 August 1832 – 17 July 1884) was a New Zealand gold miner, farmer, storekeeper and hotel-keeper.

Given the resemblance of Central Otago to British Columbia, Sutherland was convinced they should venture further west and test some of the streams that ran into the inland lakes.

Moonlight and his party joined him, but as they travelled over the ranges they met their friend the renowned prospector Bill Fox, who told them that he had discovered a goldfield on the Arrow River.

The Moonlight-Sutherland party stopped there for a while, but convinced they could do better, they headed towards what they later learned was Lake Wakatipu, and discovered a river above it which was later called the Shotover.

[13][14] In January 1863 the Otago Daily Times reported, "The population during the past week have been steadily migrating Westward, on the track of a man who goes by the name of ‘Moonlight;’ and a great deal of auriferous country has been discovered, causing a rush from the older workings on the Arrow and Shotover Rivers, but principally from the former.

"[15] In February the Lake Diggings reporter for the Southland Times wrote, "A friend of mine has penetrated with three others within six miles of the west coast.

They met Moonlight and Whisky Tom engaged in prospecting about 20 miles from the coast, but they did not seem inclined to venture further, as they had been out for some length of time, and were getting short of provisions.

[21] After arriving in Nelson, George Moonlight followed the partially formed road to the Buller, and then set out into the wilderness where he discovered a new route from the headwaters of Mangles to the Maruia River (via the headwaters of the Matakitaki and its large tributary the Glenroy), which greatly reduced the distance when travelling from the Buller to the Grey Valley and West Coast.

[28] In May a reporter from the Wakamarina wrote, "Moonlight and party have started, with nine days’ provisions, to thoroughly prospect the Pelorus river, and I quite look forward to hearing of their successfully opening a large addition to this gold-field.

"[29] They were joined at the Wakamarina by William Henry Phillips, who knew them from Victoria, and they did fairly well, but a few months later, hearing of gold being discovered on the West Coast, they went by steamer to the Grey.

[31] Upon his return to Nelson, Moonlight married Elizabeth Gaukrodger on 28 February 1865 at St John's Church in the township of Wakefield in Waimea South.

A small rush had taken place in January 1865, and though miners did well, the better diggings at the Waimea and Kaniere rivers near Hokitika meant there was no major movement northwards.

[36][35] By March 1866 Moonlight had returned north, and in April he began conducting a coaching business between Nelson and the White Hart Hotel in Richmond, for which he held the lease.

[37] In July 1869 they sold by auction all of their household furniture at the White Hart, as well as a four stall stable and a coach house, together with several serviceable horses.

[38] During the second half of 1869 he returned to the Upper Buller, where with the help of Tarran he built an accommodation house at the junction of the Warwick and Maruia rivers.

Hampden, at the mouth of the Matakitaki, was a stopping place along the way, and so the Moonlights hoped to tap into this new lucrative trade as well as have a better way to supply their stores at the Glenroy and the Upper Maruia.

In May 1878 heavy rains brought a terrible flood, where the streams of the Matakitaki and Buller cut into the land on which the township was built.

George rebuilt it away from the river, up in the bush on what would become the future site of Murchison (renamed from Hampden in 1883), but the rebuild cost him dearly.

The body was discovered after a nine-day search by a party which included Jack Tarran and George's son John Moonlight.

The coroner at the inquest was William Henry Phillips, who like John Bailie now resided nearby in the Upper Motueka district.

The evidence of the inquest showed that Moonlight had been discovered curled up, about five feet away from a makeshift walking stick, and had died from exposure.