He was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution,[1] and his business ventures included leather, shipping, and mining in South and Western Australia, and sugar in the Northern Territory of Australia, often in conjunction with one or both of his brothers William and Arthur Bean.
[2] He was elected, with Henry Strangways, to the Fifth Parliament (1868–1870) for the District of West Torrens of the South Australian House of Assembly, on 21 April 1868, the first SA-colony-born person to achieve this.
A. Bean[4] he left for London on business, but his application for leave of absence was refused by Parliament, despite a petition from his constituents.
[8] John Pickering won the resulting by-election on 10 February 1870, and the Fifth Parliament was dissolved on 2 March 1870.
[9] He was a popular speaker and frequently called upon to officiate at public occasions in the Hindmarsh area.