After a move to London in 1836, he became prominent in the early years of the Colony of South Australia, emigrating after being appointed to a civil service position there in 1840.

He was son of the political economist Robert Torrens, who was chairman of the London-based South Australian Colonisation Commission involved in setting up and encouraging emigration to the new colony.

[7] His father had this marriage nullified and in 1819 married again, to Esther Serle, an English heiress, and had his three children rebaptised to give them a form of legitimacy,[2] Robert Richard's birth year being reset to 1814.

[4][7] In the enlarged Legislative Council elected in July 1851, Torrens was one of the four official nominees nominated by the Governor,[11] with the added title of Executive Councillor in 1855–57.

[13] Torrens was elected as one of the members of the House of Assembly for the City of Adelaide in the new parliament in 1857, and on 1 September 1857 became Premier, although his government lasted only a month.

[14] The Act, eagerly anticipated by many, came into effect on 2 July 1858 and was on the whole well-received,[15] apart from some lawyers who would have noted that the ease and clarity of the process would mean less in earnings for them in the future.

[16] Torrens resigned his seat in parliament[17] and was appointed Registrar-General in order to assist with the Act's application,[18] and in this role he did much to bring about a successful practical transition to the new system.

[19] He also helped the other colonies to introduce their own variations of the system: Queensland adopted the 1859 version, while New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria based their legislation on the 1861 reforms.

[22][23] Some have challenged the notion that responsibility for the introduction of the successful system lies with Torrens, and it has been asserted that Anthony Forster, then editor of the South Australian Register, made the original suggestion.

[25] He also said that the idea was based on principles used in transferring shipping property,[14][11] of which he would have gained experience in his early career as a customs official, both in London and Adelaide (1836–1852).

[10] With the support of Carl Muecke and the influential German community,[27] he fought it through Parliament despite vigorous opposition from the legal profession.

[10] There seems to be little doubt in the sources that the successful application of the new system in South Australia was largely the result of Torrens' preparation and attention to detail.

The Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian and Tasmanian Parliaments all gave him votes of thanks, but [4] when in 1880 the attorney-general Sir William Bundey moved in the South Australian House of Assembly to grant Torrens a pension of £500, it was bitterly shouted down and the proposal had to be withdrawn, such was the animosity Torrens had aroused in some quarters.