George Taplin (24 August 1831 – 24 June 1879) was a Congregationalist minister who worked in Aboriginal missions in South Australia, and gained a reputation as an anthropologist as well, writing on Ngarrindjeri lore and customs.
Taplin was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, and educated at a private school in Andover, Hampshire, where he lived with his maternal grandmother.
While living there he married Stow's servant girl Martha Burnell, who also felt destined for missionary work.
Taplin had a keen interest in Ngarrindjeri culture, learned their language, and published Biblical writings in the local dialect.
He believed that the best chance for the people to advance was to gain acceptance in European society, and that literacy, adoption of Christian values, and learning trades were essential steps in that process.