William Sharland arrived with his parents and brother in 1823. Shortly after he joined the Survey Department under George Evans as a copying clerk. He soon became an acting assistant surveyor Sharland explored the sources of the Derwent River and claimed to have discovered Lake St Clair in 1827. He laid out New Norfolk, Hamilton, Oatlands, Bothwell and Brighton. Despite his protests he was retrenched from the Survey Department in 1839 and employed as a contract surveyor.;;Meanwhile Sharland had become a large landholder. When he arrived he was granted 400 acres (162 ha) adjoining his father's land. By June 1828 he had 1000 acres (405 ha) and 1250 sheep. In June 1828 he was granted an additional 1000 acres (405 ha) and by 1831 had leased 2200 acres (890 ha) at New Norfolk and been granted 560 (227 ha) more. By 1828 he was also a pioneer hop-grower and in 1847 imported 50,000 sets from a nursery in Kent.;;;;;;In 1832 he was engaged in a dispute with Edward Abbott about the ownership of 460 acres (164 ha) which Sharland claimed but which a tribunal granted to Abbott. In July Abbott averred that Sharland had dealt in land while in the Survey Department and was occupying 3000 acres (1214 ha) adjoining his own grant without paying rent, to the exclusion of other settlers. Sharland replied that he had never bought or sold a grant; his land was all granted by the government and improved under his father's expert direction; the 3000 acres (1214 ha) referred to was in fact 1800 acres (728 ha) rented by his father until the government put them up for sale.;;;;;;Sharland was a constant visitor at Government House in the days of Sir John Franklin, Sir William Denison and Sir John Young, and in September 1848 he was appointed to the Legislative Council. After responsible government he represented New Norfolk in the House of Assembly in 1861-72. In 1835 he had married Frances Sarah, daughter of Major Charles Schaw; they had six sons and eight daughters. After her death in March 1859 he married Margaret Fyfe, of Mount Nod, Surrey. He was a devoted member of the Church of England and for many years a member of synod. He died on 23 October 1877 and was buried at New Norfolk.;;;;