Henry Martin emigrated to South Australia in 1839 and initially entered into partnership with his brother Thomas in a butcher shop on Hindley Street, Adelaide. Thomas had arrived on the Tam O'Shanter which reached Holdfast Bay in November 1836.
Robert Archibald Fiveash (23) and his young brother William (13) arrived as an assisted migrants on The Planter, a schooner of 120 tons, at Holdfast Bay in May 1839, after a six month voyage from London. His first venture was also in a butcher shop in Hindley Street. He may have worked for the Martin brothers, or become a partner. He certainly had an early association with them.
Subsequently Robert joined William in opening a drapery business, but he did not enjoy the constraints of life in a shop. Robert was soon roaming and prospecting as far north as the Flinders Ranges. This resulted in the dissolution of his draper shop partnership in January 1858, the documents being witnessed by Henry Martin. Henry Martin and Robert Fiveash both turned their interests to mining matters and became heavily involved. They travelled around the mid north of South Australia, the far north and into the Flinders Ranges, buying numerous mining leases and on occasions entire small mines. It seems that the two were business partners and that Thomas Martin also had a financial share in those operations.
They were involved with the Yudnamutana and Blinman copper mines in particular. Both were present in August 1862 when work at the new Blinman mine was officially opened in the presence of several well-known mining identities. It became the largest producer and longest operating mine in the Flinders Ranges.
