 He was educated at the Poland-street academy and at 15 years of age was apprenticed to William Pickering, the publisher.In 1850, he joined the London joint stock bank and in September 1854, sailed for Australia, arrived in Melbourne on 4 December, and joined the staff of the Bank of Australasia.In 1865, he became accountant of this bank, and in 1870, general manager of the Commercial Bank of Australia, then a comparatively small institution.