Frederick came to South Australia via Victoria and then New South Wales and established himself as a pastoralist. He overlanded cattle from New South Wales to Portland, Victoria from where they were shipped to Adelaide. He arranged for Alexander Buchanan to overland 5000 sheep for him which was the real beginning of Dutton's success in South Australia. His brothers were Francis Stacker Dutton who was the co-discoverer of the Kapunda copper mines in 1842 and William Hampden Dutton, a landowner. Frederick's first property was Koonunga: it was on this property that the copper deposits that became the Kapunda copper mine were found. He also acquired what would become Anlaby from John Finniss. Another property was at Mount Dispersion: in 1841 an agreement was reached with C H Bagot for him to graze sheep on the property. This was witnessed by George C. Hawker and Alexander Buchanan, the manager of Anlaby Station. Anlaby was named after the home village in Yorkshire, UK of his brother-in-law Richard Cankrein.

Dutton's Anlaby Station became a show place in South Australia where prize merino sheep were bred.

Anlaby was left to Frederick's nephew, Henry, his brother William's only surviving son. F H Dutton returned to England but continued to take an interest in South Australia and made periodic visits back and was a benefactor to the town of Kapunda.