He attended Inverell High School and The King's School, Parramatta. He worked on his family's properties in northeastern New South Wales from 1947 to 1959, first at Jerrys Plains and then at Barraba.
He studied at Inverell High School and The King's School, Parramatta. He labored on his family's properties in northeastern New South Wales from 1947 to 1959, initially at Jerrys Plains and subsequently at Barraba.