[1] Born the son of David James Smeaton,[2] Donald was educated at the Abbey Park Institution, St. Andrew's, a boarding school run by his father, at which not less than 80 young men were boarded and educated.
[4] Joining the Indian Civil Service in 1865 via open competition, he arrived in India in 1867, Smeaton held minor appointments in the North-Western Provinces.
Smeaton engaged in a letter-writing campaign against Fryer and Curzon, which caused much embarrassment.
[6] He was made Companion of the Order of the Star of India in 1895, was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal in 1900 and retired in 1902.
[4] Smeaton published editions of the North-Western Provinces Revenue Act, The Currency of India and The Karens of Burma.