At 14 he went to the Manor House Academy, a school run by the mathematics writer Daniel Dowling at the top of Highgate Hill, London.

[4] With his younger brother George, he set up an agency business and published a pamphlet declaring his intention of migrating to South Australia and his readiness to act for purchasers of land.

[6] On 20 March 1836, Morphett sailed for South Australia in the Cygnet, which arrived at Kangaroo Island on 11 September 1836.

[4][5][7] Morphett was appointed treasurer to the town corporation on 5 December 1840, and on 15 June 1843 was nominated as one of four non-official members of the expanded South Australian Legislative Council.

In January 1845 he chaired the meeting called to protest the British government's proposal to send Parkhurst prison boys to South Australia.

He was chief secretary in the Thomas Reynolds ministry from February to October 1861, and on 31 March 1865 was elected President of the South Australian Legislative Council, a position he held until his retirement.

He returned to England twice: alone in 1846, leaving Mrs. Morphett at home with four daughters and a son; then in December 1855 with his wife, ten children and two servants.

[5] Morphett had faith in the colony from the beginning: although he realized that for a period South Australia would be regarded as a pastoral colony, depending chiefly on its export of wool, as early as 1838 he had hopes of raising wine, olive oil, figs, maize, flax, silk, rice, indigo and tobacco.

[10] Morphett supported Fisher and Gouger in their quarrels with Hindmarsh, later becoming a force in the Legislative Council, and he worked hard for responsible government.

He took an active part in the formation of the Literary Association and the Mechanics Institute, and was an early supporter of St Peter's College.

[1] His siblings included: John Morphett (1809–1892) married Elizabeth Hurtle Fisher (1815–1905) on 15 August 1838 at Holy Trinity Church, Adelaide.