Pile was born in
Beverley, Yorkshire :This date appears to conflict with his later arrival in Australia, but it was not unusual for the husband or representative of a prosperous family to act as "pathfinder" to the new colony, assessing opportunities and risks, making contacts and devising strategies and lists of desirable assets before establishing a home and business in a new country. He left for
South Australia on the ship
Anna with his wife and family and brother George (c. 1811–1861), arriving in November 1849. In 1850 he became licensee of the Black Bull Hotel, Hindley Street, relinquished later that year. In 1851 and 1852 he was licensee of the Old Spot Hotel on Murray Street, Gawler, but was forced to relinquish it by the weight of outstanding debts. McKinlay was from around 1850 a family friend. In 1863 he married Pile's daughter Jane Pile (c. 1837–1914). By 1864 Pile had settled two miles north of Gawler, at "Beckwith" property owned by Thomas Stubbs, and Stubbs' residence to 1858. George Pile was also at "Beckwith" in his last years, died there in May 1861. He acquired a considerable area of land at
Gawler East and Gawler South, as well as properties at
Munno Para East and
Nuriootpa, which he stocked with horses and cattle droved overland from Sydney. Some time around 1860, on McKinlay's recommendation, Pile took up land with western frontage on the
Darling River, which became Cuthero, of , and Netley stations. A year or two later he sold Netley station to the brothers Joe (c. 1827–1874) and John Dunne (c. 1832–1893). Around the same time he also acquired Polia station. At first he stocked Cuthero and Polia with horses and some 1,200 cattle. When his sons reached adulthood he left them to manage of the properties, and built for himself a fine house "Oaklands" on McKinlay Avenue, Gawler East, where he retired, was appointed
Justice of the Peace and served as a Town Councillor and Elder of the Presbyterian Church. Around 1870 the sons turned their attention from cattle to sheep, which thrived, and soon they had built up their small flock to some 200,000. Then came the "seven years' drought" of 1880–1886, and their numbers fell to 12,000. ;Isabella (died 1864) His second daughter, she married Thomas Glen, died 6 October 1864, a week after giving birth, two weeks after the drowning of her brother James. ;John (c. 1841–1924) His (subsequently) eldest son was born in Scotland and emigrated to South Australia with his parents. He was educated at Gawler, where he encountered
Dick Holland and with whom, at age 13 or 14, he made his first overland droving trip from
Sydney to Adelaide with horses. He made his next trip with John McKinlay, who shortly afterwards took over Lake Victoria Station. Mahdi, Havelock and the steeplechaser Confidence (which won an Australian Grand National) were among his best horses. In May 1897 he sold all his racehorses.
Seth Ferry purchased Havelock and Joe Carr bought Confidence. He died at his home, High Street, Glenelg. ;William (c. 1841–1916) His second son William Pile was born in
Glasgow, and emigrated with his parents. At the time of the
Victorian gold rush, he drove sheep to
Ballarat, where he sold them for a handsome profit. William "Willie" Pile became manager of Polia station, and served as the local magistrate. A keen racing man, he was a member of the
South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC)'s first committee, and owner of
The Assyrian, Country Girl and First Water (winner of the 1880
Adelaide Cup and the 1881
Australian Cup). For a time his horses were trained by
J. Eden Savill, but after Savill sued certain members of the SAJC committee, Pile included, he withdrew his patronage and a year later sold his stables, horses and all his stock. Savill bought The Assyrian, which went on to win the 1882
Melbourne Cup. He subsequently joined the Adelaide Gun Club, which in the days before
clay pigeons used live birds as targets. He had a hobby farm at
Morphettville close to the racecourse and the
Holdfast Bay railway line (now a
tramline), and there built a
pigeon tower with boxes for 700 birds, which became a well-known local landmark, ;Charles (c. 1844–1891) Charles was the Piles' youngest son, and emigrated with his parents. He was educated at the school run by
L. S. Burton (c. 1823–1895). He worked on Cuthero station, and while mustering cattle discovered woodcutter John Hide and his wife, suffering from exposure and dehydration, and the bodies of their five children, having been without water for four days. He retired to "Oaklands", Gawler, but died, intestate, at
South Terrace, Adelaide. He is not to be confused with Charles Ogleby Pile, Magistrate and Justice of the Peace of
Bulahdelah on the
Myall River. ==Family==