He was a successful businessman until many of his ventures failed during the depression of the 1880s, causing him to return to England for the last decade of his life.

[2] Archibald Clark decided to emigrate to New Zealand with his third wife and four children; the family left London on the barque Thames on 18 July 1849 and arrived in Auckland on 25 November.

Together with John Logan Campbell, Gustav von der Heyde, John Shera and others, Clark set up the New Zealand Freight Company in 1872, which amalgamated with the New Zealand Shipping Company the following year.

[9] Clark was one of the financial backers of business entrepreneur Thomas Russell, who in 1859 had founded the New Zealand Insurance (NZI).

The group of businessmen and companies behind Russell became known as the Limited Circle, and they were financing much of the development of Auckland.

[10] Members of the Limited Circle founded the Bank of New Zealand in 1861 and Clark was on the board of directors.

It was one of the many speculative deals which did not go well, and the depression in the second half of the 1880s necessitated a sale, which was done in 1887 incurring a great loss.

[12][13][14] During his term in Office, the first tramway (Horse drawn) was constructed and the site for the Auckland Town Hall was purchased.

[1] In the 1875–1876 general election, he was nominated by Thomas Peacock,[20] but unsuccessfully contested the Auckland East electorate against William Lee Rees, polling 266 votes against 300.

[21][22] Clark then contested the Auckland East electorate in the 1879 general election against William Speight and was narrowly defeated with 363 to 371 votes.

Two days later, on a Saturday, the Auckland premises of Archibald Clark and Sons were closed to give staff the opportunity to celebrate the wedding.