Armed Constabulary service

In 1868, having failed again as a gold prospector, Sutherland joined the Armed Constabulary, the colonial regular army. He was involved in the fighting in the South Taranaki during the campaign against the Māori war chief Riwha Tītokowaru. He was also present at the siege of Ngatapa from December 1868 to January 1869, during the East Cape wars. He acted as a scout after fighting at Tauranga-ika and was involved in the pursuit of Tītokowaru's men following their abandonment of the pā (hillfort) there. In the mistaken belief that a bounty was offered for the head of any captives, he decapitated those he caught. He ended the conflict as a corporal and was later a recipient of the New Zealand War Medal.^[1][3]

Milford Sound

Sutherland returned to the sea as a mariner for the New Zealand Government Service Steamer (NZGSS) shipping line. After several years of this work, in 1877 he decided to settle in Fiordland. He had visited the area a number of times while working NZGSS vessels. Sailing from Dunedin with only a dog for company, he reached the Milford Sound on 3 December. Basing himself at Freshwater Basin, a site close to Bowen Falls, he constructed a three-room hut. Further dwellings were built later and he drew up plans for a settlement for what he called the city of Milford. He looked for gold, asbestos and bowenite.^[1][4][5]

In 1878, Sutherland invited James McKay to join him in his hunt for gold. Finding none, the two used funds and provisions afforded by the Lake County to scout for a route between Milford Sound and Queenstown. He was unsuccessful in finding a pass through the mountains but did locate the track used by Māori to travel between Milford and Bligh Sounds.^[6][7] In doing so, he was the first European to sight the waterfall that is now named for him. Originally it was claimed to be well over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in height and the highest in the world, but Sutherland Falls is actually only 580 metres (1,900 ft) high. It is still New Zealand's highest waterfall.^[8][9]

By the early 1880s, McKay had left Milford, believing there was no gold to be had in the area. This left Sutherland as the only permanent resident in Milford Sound. In 1883, while sailing down the coast in his vessel Porpoise, he discovered another feature that is named for him, Sutherland Sound.^[1][7][10] The same year, he attempted to climb Mitre Peak.^[11] His failure to reach the summit was galling and he later attempted to discredit the first ascent made in 1911 by Jim Dennistoun.^[12] His observations from his exploration of Milford Sound and the surrounding area were communicated to Alexander McKay, a geologist, who in August 1884 reported these to the Wellington Philosophical Society.^[13]

For much of the next several years, Sutherland lived alone in Milford Sound, only receiving visits every six months or so when the NZGSS steamers Hinemoa or Stella called in.^[1] In 1888, he was contracted to make a track from Milford through to Sutherland Falls. This took six months, and now forms part of the Milford Track.^[14] He made occasional visits to Dunedin, and on one of these, in 1890, he married Elizabeth née Samuels, a widower originally from England. The couple, using Elizabeth's money, purchased land on which the Chalet, an accommodation facility, was built. This catered to the increasing number of tourists visiting the area in the summer months via the Milford Track or by ship. Among them was the historian James Cowan, with whom Sutherland scouted in the area for diamonds.^[1]