He taught at the Glasgow Free Church Training College, the Glasgow Academy and Scotch College in Melbourne, Australia, before being appointed inspector of schools with the provincial government in Otago, New Zealand, in October 1873.

An active member of the Otago Institute, Petrie was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London (1886) and served as president of the Auckland Institute (1896).

He was one of the 20 original fellows of the New Zealand Institute in 1911 and held several positions there, including council member, member of the board of governors, and president in 1915.

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