He arrived in Wellington on the New York Packet from London in 1842, where he was delayed by a month before the next vessel went to Auckland, then the seat of the Government.
[1] Shepherd was appointed Colonial Treasurer on 9 May 1842, succeeding George Cooper.
[3] When New Zealand gained self-government with the formation of the Fitzgerald Ministry on 14 June 1854, Shepherd's role was disestablished and he was given a government pension.
[1][2] Shepherd's stepdaughter, Jane Augusta Griffith, married Frederick Whitaker at St. Paul's Church in Auckland on 4 March 1843.
[5] Shepherd died on 20 July 1859 aged 61 years[6] in Auckland after a short illness.