 Blamey began his working life in 1899 as a trainee school teacher at Lake Albert School . He transferred to South Wagga Public School in 1901 , and in 1903 moved to Western Australia , where he taught for three years at Fremantle Boys School . He coached the rifle shooting team of its cadet unit there to a win in the Western Australian Cup . He was raised in the Methodist faith and remained involved with his church . By early 1906 he was a lay preacher , and church leaders in Western Australia offered him an appointment as an associate minister in Carnarvon , Western Australia . 
