He was born on 10 September 1874, son of John Barton Arundel Acland, Member of the Legislative Council of New Zealand and a barrister, and Emily Weddell Harper his wife, who was a daughter of the first Bishop of Christchurch, Primate of New Zealand. J B A Acland was the sixth son of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th Baronet, whose third son Henry became Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford and was himself created a baronet. H T D Acland was educated at Christ's College, Christchurch and Otago University, Dunedin, and then came to England for clinical training at St Thomas's Hospital, where he obtained numerous prizes including the Cheselden medal and served as house surgeon. After qualifying in 1898 he served in the South African war 1900-01 and then came back to England to take the Fellowship. He returned to Christchurch to practise and was appointed to the staff of Christchurch Hospital, where he ultimately became consulting surgeon. In the first world war he served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Europe, and was torpedoed in the troopship Marquette. He was later mentioned in dispatches, and was created CMG and CBE. He then returned to his practice at 51 Brown's Road, Christchurch. He was one of the founders of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He was an honorary surgeon to the Governor-General of New Zealand 1930-35, and a member of the City Council 1936-41, after being knighted in 1933. He was Assistant Director of Medical Services 1940-48 for the Southern Military District, with the rank of Colonel, New Zealand Army Medical Service. Acland married in 1903 Evelyn Mary daughter of J L Ovens of East Sheen, who survived him with three sons and a daughter. He died at Christchurch on 15 April 1956.