 He attended Doolbi Primary School, Childers Junior High School and Brisbane Technical College.Blake served in the 2d AIF in World War Two, rising to the rank of Lance Bombardier with the 2/8 Field Regiment, 9 Division from 1941 until 1945 and on his return was a sugarcane farmer and trawlerman.On 21 April 1951, he married Edna Mavis Berg and together they had four daughters.