Colin began working at a local quarry at the age of 11, and over the following years he worked as a labourer and later as a wardsman at the Broadmeadows army hospital. In 1920, Elizabeth Ross became the manager of the Donnybrook Hotel, thirty kilometres north of Melbourne, with Colin as partner and another of her sons, Ronald, as licensee.
Colin started his career at a nearby quarry when he was 11 years old, and over time, he worked as a manual labourer and later as a caretaker at the Broadmeadows army hospital. In 1920, Elizabeth Ross took charge of the Donnybrook Hotel, thirty kilometres north of Melbourne, with Colin as her business partner and another of her sons, Ronald, handling the licensing.