▁good ▁ath lete ▁and , ▁representing ▁Cambridge ▁against ▁Oxford , ▁won ▁the ▁ 1 2 0 ▁yards ▁hur d les . ▁St ir ling ▁also ▁won ▁the ▁amateur ▁championship ▁of ▁England ▁in ▁this ▁event ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁latter ▁year ▁being ▁ 1 6 . 8 ▁seconds , ▁considered ▁a ▁good ▁performance ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁ ▁Career ▁St ir ling ▁read ▁for ▁the ▁bar ▁and ▁was ▁admitted ▁at ▁the ▁Inner ▁Temple ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁but ▁never ▁pract ised . ▁St ir ling ▁returned ▁to ▁South ▁Australia ▁soon ▁afterwards , ▁became ▁a ▁past oral ist , ▁and ▁b red ▁prize ▁horses ▁and ▁mer ino ▁sheep . ▁He ▁entered ▁the ▁South ▁Australian ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁for ▁Mount ▁B ark er , ▁which ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁April ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁and ▁afterwards ▁represented ▁G umer ach a ▁until ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁when ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁then - con serv ative ▁South ▁Australian ▁Legisl ative ▁Council , ▁representing ▁the ▁Southern ▁District . ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁St ir ling ▁was ▁chief ▁secretary ▁in ▁the ▁ ▁conserv ative ▁Sol omon ▁government ▁but ▁this ▁min istry ▁was ▁defeated ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁the ▁house ▁met . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁St ir ling ▁was ▁elected ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁Australian ▁Legisl ative ▁Council , ▁and ▁would ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁position