Boreham was educated at Grosvenor United School, Tunbridge Wells, England. After working as a clerk for a number of years, he entered the Baptist ministry in 1892. In 1894 he transferred to Mosgiel, New Zealand. In 1902 he became President of the Baptist Union of New Zealand.
In 1906 Boreham was appointed to the Baptist Tabernacle, Hobart. There he edited the Southern Baptist and, later, the Australian Baptist. He was a prolific contributor to and editorial writer for the Hobart Mercury over a period of 40 years, including a biographical series covering 2000 persons.
In May 1916 Boreham moved to Melbourne, where he became Minister of the Armadale Baptist Church, a position from which he retired in 1928. After his retirement, he travelled widely on preaching tours. His autobiography My Pilgimage was published in 1940. Apart from this, he was the author of approximately 80 works, mainly books of religious essays. However, he also used fiction, both for adults and children, as a vehicle to convey his message.
It is often difficult to distinguish fact from fiction in Boreham's books (as he himself admits: see O'er Crag and Torrent , p.6ff). Several of the books listed as fiction might just as easily be classified as autobiographical reminiscences. The character of John Broadbanks, which appears in several of his books and in the title of one, is Boreham himself, with a thin fictional veneer.
