David Sutherland (politician)

He inherited his father's business and for a time ran it with his two younger brothers, extending operations to Limerick, and traded throughout Great Britain and Europe.

[2] They arrived at Holdfast Bay on 7 July 1840, and for a time lived in a "portable cottage" before renting the fine house on Hurtle Square, Adelaide, owned by George Milner Stephen and previously occupied by E. C. Frome.

[2] Forbes, McNeill & Co. collapsed, from causes that had nothing to do with South Australia or Sutherland, leaving his business in shambles, and he had to arrange matters in the colony as best he could.

Fortunately for him, he had before coming to South Australia purchased five 80 acres (32 ha) sections of land, four of them contiguous between Brighton and Sturt, and one at Encounter Bay.

[4] Eventually the farm began to pay, and though money was very scarce, living became very cheap and he prospered during the Victorian gold rush, selling the diggers flour and pressed hay.

The farm, whose soil was becoming exhausted for wheat growing, had a succession of bad seasons with low prices and, though he lived frugally, his financial situation continued to deteriorate.

Eventually he was forced, in a weak market, to sell his Dunrobin estate and all his personal property and live at his son's farm near Mount Gambier.