In 1896, the family moved to Western Australia, and he was educated at state schools in East Perth, Claremont and Northam before attending Scotch College.
After his war service, Ackland returned to Lake Ninan, and became a Justice of the Peace in 1922 and was elected to the Melbourne Road Board the following year.
Shortly after his return to civilian life, Ackland contested the seat of Irwin-Moore in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the Country Party at the 1947 election, and won against the incumbent Independent member Horace Berry.
He represented the Western Australian branch at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at its general conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in 1982.
Ackland died suddenly after giving a speech at Wongan Hills Junior High School on 29 July 1958, and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.