[2] McLachlan stood for election in the Selwyn electorate for the Canterbury Provincial Council, but lost to Edward Jollie.

He is a sturdily built, carelessly dressed man, with a large head, made to look larger by the wild disorder of a huge shock of curly hair.

He is, as a rule, a breezy, happy-go-lucky sort of member with a good sense of humour and a fine stock of anecdotes and a great admiration for and acquaintance with the writings of Robert Burns.

In 1907 he was 'almost certainly' the subject of a complaint by J. T. Marryat Hornsby to the Speaker about his language and his intoxicated condition in the house, which the Premier promised to have put right.

[12] Archibald McLachlan stood in the 1928 election in the Riccarton electorate for the United Party, coming second to Bert Kyle.