Henry was born in Montevideo where his father Henry P(alafox) G(erona) Sparks (ca.1810 – 18 April 1870), a Liverpool merchant, his wife Sarah (ca.1816 – 5 January 1898) and family had settled. To escape the turmoil which had erupted in Uruguay, he chartered the brig "Bernard" (240 tons, Crawney master) and sailed to South Australia, arriving in Adelaide in May 1853. He gained an appointment as accountant for the Water Board. Henry attended John Whinham's North Adelaide Grammar School, where he was a prize-winning student, then entered the office of Sir John Morphett. He next secured a post with the Bank of South Australia, then Elder, Smith, &amp; Co., and finally in 1880, the Mortgage Company of South Australia as its foundation manager. On 26 June 1894, he was appointed manager of the South Australian Company, succeeding William J. Brind, and still held that position at the time of his death.