 He was born in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria Australia, on 17 July 1864 of Scottish parents, and he was brought up and lived practically all his life in Scotland after his family moved back to Kirkcudbright in 1866.He studied for three years at the art school at Edinburgh, and for two years at Antwerp under Professor Verlat.Returning from Antwerp in 1885, he met George Henry and associated himself with the Glasgow Boys.