Livingston was born in Mount Gambier, South Australia and educated privately at the family home of Curratum.

He worked on farms in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria and in 1880 explored the Gascoyne River area of northern Western Australia.

[1] In 1899, Livingston was elected as the member for Victoria in the South Australian House of Assembly and retained the seat after it was renamed to Victoria and Albert in 1902 but lost the seat in 1906.

[2] Livingston won the federal seat of Barker at the 1906 election for the Anti-Socialist Party.

[1] Livingston died in Melbourne in 1935 (aged77), survived by his wife, five daughters and two sons.