In the 1930s, he worked as a labourer and storeman, and became a foreman of sustenance gangs during the Great Depression who were digging contoured channels on dams in the South West region. By 1938, he was working for the Department of Water Supplies, and moved frequently with his young family as work demanded.
During the 1930s, he held positions as a manual worker and storekeeper, eventually advancing to become a foreman overseeing food gangs during the Great Depression, which involved constructing contoured channels on dams in the South West. By 1938, he was working for the Department of Water Supplies, often relocating with his family due to job demands.