Grant was born in Scotland to Margaret (née McKenzie) and George Grant. He arrived in Australia in 1852, during the
Victorian gold rush, and initially worked on the goldfields at
Bendigo. He then went to
Queensland for a period before returning to Victoria and settling in
Portland. In 1864, Grant was involved in the formation of the Portland Squatting Company, along with brothers
Alexander and
John Richardson and several others. The syndicate sought to exploit liberal land regulations in other colonies, and the following year its founders sailed to the
North-West and established
Pyramid Station. Grant remained in the
Pilbara when the company was dissolved a few years later, and went into partnership with
Charles Harper on the
De Grey River. He also bought land in the nearby town of
Roebourne. ==Politics and later life==