Gale was born in Bodmin, Cornwall, England, in 1831 and educated at Monmouth Grammar School. He was apprenticed to the printing trade in 1846 and while learning this trade also completed his training to be a missionary. John Gale arrived in Sydney, Australia, in 1853 on the 'American Lass' with six other young ministers. They were sent by the British Conference for special work in the gold fields as Methodist missionaries (probationary ministers). Gale was appointed to the Goulburn-Gunning Circuit, initially being put in charge of the Berrima section. However, within a year he was moved to the Gunning section where he covered a wide area which included the town (now city) of Queanbeyan in southern New South Wales (NSW).