Background
Tetley was born in Manningham, Yorkshire, England, the son of James Greaves Tetley Gant, (1815–1873), Bradford solicitor, and Sarah Ann Gaunt.
Tetley was born in Manningham, Yorkshire, England, the son of James Greaves Tetley Gant, (1815–1873), Bradford solicitor, and Sarah Ann Gaunt.
He attended Rugby School and Street John"s College, in Oxford.
In 1884 Gant migrated to Australia and settled in Hobart. Gant was elected to the seat of Buckingham in the Tasmanian Legislative Council in May 1901, retaining it until August 1927. Gant was appointed to the council for the University of Tasmania in 1905 and in 1909 he succeeded Sir Neil Elliott Lewis as Vice-Chancellor.
In 1914 he was appointed Chancellor, succeeding Sir John Stokell Dodds.
In 1902 Gant became president of the Amateur Horticultural Society of Hobart. In 1910 he was elected the founding President of the Buckingham Rowing and Swimming Club and in 1913 he was appointed president of the Tasmanian Club.