Taylor was born at Sydney in 1872. He first became known as an artist, and was a member of the Sydney Bohemian set in the 1890s. He wrote about this part of his life in his book, "Those Were the Days", published in 1918. He drew for "The Bulletin", "Worker", "Sunday Times", "Referee", and "London Punch". Later he became interested in aviation and radio.Taylor was a member of the Dawn and Dusk Club, an group of bohemians and intellectuals that included the writer Henry Lawson. Taylor married his wife, Florence Mary Parsons in 1907.