Thomas Hyland settled in Adelaide and set up an architectural practice. He was on the Adelaide City Council for four years before being elected to the House of Assembly in 1905, and he continued to hold seats in parliament until 1921. He was committed to military training , was active in the Stow Memorial Congregational Church, and was President of the South Australian Temperance Alliance whose cause he promoted in parliament.
Other works published by Smeaton include The People in Politics (1914), a biography of Premier Tom Price, From Stonecutter to Premier and Minister of Education (1924) and Education in South Australia from 1836-1927 (1927).
Smeaton edited the South Australian Literary Societies' Journal, and in the Cyclopedia of South Australia Vol. I (1907) it is asserted that he 'had gained more first prizes for literary competition work at the annual South Australian Literary Societies' Union competitions than any other member' (p. 216-7). A notebook containing essays, poems, hymns and acrostics written by him is held in the archival collection of the State Library of South Australia.
