He left for the Ovens River goldfields and was quite successful. He returned to Geelong and set himself up as a storekeeper and wine merchant. In 1861 he purchased Yallum Park Estate, a sheep and cattle station near Penola. He founded the Coonawarra fruit colony there, and built a grand residence; he was noted for his hospitality.

In partnership with his brother, he bought up extensive tracts of land in the South-East of South Australia; by 1891 they