By 1840, he had a considerable land holding called 'Studley' on the River Torrens, on which he was grazing sheep, cattle, horses and pigs.
He also had land in the Light district, and on the Eyre Peninsula around Mount Wedge and Lake Newland.
In 1848, a battle broke out on Pinkerton's Eyre Peninsula station with the local Aboriginal people, who were most likely Nauo.
[citation needed] This murder is said by many to have provoked what became one of the most notorious and debated acts of frontier violence, the Waterloo Bay Massacre.
This was part of a wider battle being waged throughout the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula at this time.