In 1830 he opposed attempts to sell large areas of crown land. He joined the Australian Landowners Association in 1831 to fight new land laws. When the Sydney Free Grammar School closed after only one year in 1826, Bland came up with a scheme to start a new school to replace it. Sydney College began in 1830. The foundation stone of a new building was laid by the Chief Justice, Sir Francis Forbes, in 1830. Bland was treasurer of the of the college from 1835 to 1844. In 1845 he became president. The buildings were sold to the University of Sydney in 1853. Sydney Free Grammar School and Sydney College were the beginnings of the current Sydney Grammar School which began in 1854.