He was born at Muswellbrook to squatter John Kingsmill Abbott and Frances Amanda Brady.
He eventually owned one of the most valuable estates in the area, totaling 30,000 acres (12,000 ha).
In 1889 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Upper Hunter as a Protectionist, but was defeated in 1891.
From 1890 he was a member of the Council of the Pastoralists' Union of New South Wales, serving as president from 1894 to 1897 and from 1900 to 1910.
He published a series of books, including an early work on the effect of rabbits in Australia.