He was born in West Melbourne, the son of a prosperous Scottish-born merchant, and worked in his father's business, eventually becoming sole proprietor and managing director of McPherson's, a leading machinery firm.
hiː wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn wˈɛst mˈɛlbɚn, ðə sˈʌn əvə pɹˈɑːspɚɹəs skˈɑːɾɪʃbˈɔːɹn mˈɜːtʃənt, ænd wˈɜːkt ɪn hɪz fˈɑːðɚz bˈɪznəs, ᵻvˈɛntʃuːəli bᵻkˈʌmɪŋ sˈoʊl pɹəpɹˈaɪəɾɚ ænd mˈænɪdʒɪŋ dᵻɹˈɛktɚɹ ʌv mək fˈɜːsənz, ɐ lˈiːdɪŋ məʃˈiːnɚɹi fˈɜːm.