 William Henry Corifield was born at Yeovil, Somerset, England in 1843, the son of James and Ann Corfield.He attend Kingston School in Yeovil and Spa Villa Academy in Melksham, Wiltshire.Aged 19 years, he migrated to Queensland in 1862 where he initially acquainted himself with Queensland bush life working for his uncle, H. C. Corfield on his property "Stanton Harcourt" near Maryborough.