[1] Calvert was born in Otley, Yorkshire, England,[1] and received his schooling in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, where his family successively resided after leaving the Borders.
[2] On the voyage to Australia, in the ship Sir Edward Paget, Calvert developed a lasting friendship with Dr. Ludwig Leichhardt, the explorer.
[2] The party left Moreton Bay settlement (Brisbane) in 1844 for Port Essington, on the north coast, and after many hardships and difficulties, including numerous conflicts with Aborigines, accomplished their mission and returned to Sydney late in 1845.
[2] Details of the expedition were later published by Leichhardt, who wrote: "The only one who behaved perfectly, with few exceptions, was a young man, Mr. Calvert, who came in the same boat with me from England".
He married the Australian author and botanical collector Louisa Atkinson on 11 March 1869,[1] and after her sudden death in childbirth in 1872 he led a retired life.