▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁mounted ▁polic eman . ▁He ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Dal ton , ▁New ▁South ▁Wales , ▁during ▁the ▁great ▁de pression , ▁and ▁was ▁educated ▁in ▁G oul burn ▁and ▁Mus well bro ok . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁W heel ah an ▁moved ▁to ▁Sydney ▁to ▁find ▁work ▁and ▁contact ▁his ▁id ol , ▁Stan ▁Pitt , ▁whose ▁work , ▁Silver ▁St arr ▁he ▁had ▁long ▁adm ired . ▁ ▁W heel ah an ▁became ▁friends ▁with ▁Pitt ▁and ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁Pitt ▁employed ▁him ▁in king ▁sections ▁of ▁Y arm ak ▁– ▁Jung le ▁King ▁and ▁Captain ▁Power . ▁W heel ah an ▁also ▁did ▁art work ▁for ▁H . ▁John ▁Edwards , ▁including ▁covers ▁for ▁the ▁F iction ▁House ▁line ▁of ▁repr ints ▁and ▁fill ers . ▁One ▁of ▁these ▁fill er ▁stri ps ▁was ▁' Space ▁Haw k ', ▁a ▁science - f iction ▁super h ero , ▁which ▁appeared ▁as ▁a ▁back - up ▁feature ▁in ▁Edwards ' ▁repr ints ▁of ▁W ings ▁and ▁R angers ▁com ics . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twenty ▁dis ill usion ed ▁by ▁his ▁lack ▁of ▁art istic ▁success ▁and ▁unable ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁living ▁from ▁his ▁art work ▁W heel ah an ▁went ▁back ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁in ▁Ar mid ale , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁pow der ▁mon key ▁on ▁the ▁Oak y ▁River ▁Dam ▁project . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁W