[1] George Hubbard Makgill was born in Winchester on 7 January 1934.
His father was an Royal Air Force officer, and the family emigrated to New Zealand.
[2] His father was killed in a crash while flying between the North and South islands.
[2] Makgill was raised in Wellington, and he attended St Peter's College, Cambridge, and Wanganui Collegiate School.
[1][2] His first wife, Alison Jensen, bore him four sons (including a set of twins), one of whom died two days after birth:[1] Makgill and his second wife, Venetia Steward, had one son: