His health was never robust, which may have induced him to emigrate into South Australia,[1] where he entered into partnership with Dr. H. Wheeler in Adelaide sometime before February 1867.
He was a member of the Technical Education Board, whose report resulted in the establishment of the South Australian School of Mines and Industries.
[1] He was a Director of the Trust and Agency Company of South Australia Ltd.[6] He was, with Lady Colton, the prime mover behind the establishment of the Adelaide Children's Hospital.
He was president of the Institute of Hygiene, an active supporter of the St. John Ambulance Society, and helped found the District Trained Nurses' Association.
He acted on various Parliamentary committees, including the Parliament Buildings, the Transcontinental Railway, the River Murray Waters, and the Sewage Commissions.