[3] Cameron joined his uncles droving sheep from Sydney to Port Phillip, then across to South Australia, where in 1840 he was one of the first squatters in the Penola district.
In 1845 he successfully applied for the occupation licence on 48 square miles (120 km2) of verdant land, including the site of the future town of Penola.
Initially he operated Penola as a cattle and horse station with animals he brought from Victoria, sheep being hard to procure.
[5] In 1860 the young Mary MacKillop took a job as governess of their large family, also assisting with the education of the farmhands' children.
A life-size statue of Cameron, by John Dowie, was installed by the Royal Oak Hotel, Penola, paid for by public subscription..