According to the 1828 Census, Captain Cromarty arrived in 1822, two years before his wife and daughter Elizabeth. He was engaged as captain of the vessel Fame and also later received a land grant for his services to Government. The grant was eventually transferred to land at Port Stephens.

In 1830, Australian Agricultural Co., Commissioner Sir William Parry described a visit to Captain Cromarty - 'Dr. Nisbet went over to see Mr. Cromarty, a settler, to endeavor to arrange wit him to go up the Myall with one of our boats to look for cedar, of which there was a great quantity purchased by the company formerly from Mr. Lord, and of which Mr. Cromarty knows more than anybody else, having been employed by Mr. Lord. Cromarty is an honest man, a rara avis here, and is desirous of paying us in this way for any services we can render him'.

William Cromarty was residing in Newcastle by April 1833 when Governor Burke's visit took place. Perhaps he assisted in piloting the famous steamer Sophia Jane into the harbour on that day in April.  He was seriously injured in an accident at Newcastle port later that year and retired from his position to settle on his land at Soldier's Point, Port Stephens. The Newcastle port was left without a pilot for some time on his resignation, apparently causing great danger to the vessel entering and leaving the harbour. Several small vessels were lost including the Ann owned by W. Chapman & Co., of Sydney.