hiː wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn wˈɛst mˈɛlbɚn, ðə sˈʌn əvə pɹˈɑːspɚɹəs skˈɑːɾɪʃbˈɔːɹn mˈɜːtʃənt, ænd wˈɜːkt ɪn hɪz fˈɑːðɚz bˈɪznəs, ᵻvˈɛntʃuːəli bᵻkˈʌmɪŋ sˈoʊl pɹəpɹˈaɪəɾɚ ænd mˈænɪdʒɪŋ dᵻɹˈɛktɚɹ ʌv mək fˈɜːsənz, ɐ lˈiːdɪŋ məʃˈiːnɚɹi fˈɜːm.
He was born in West Melbourne, the son of a prosperous Scottish-born merchant, and worked in his father's business, eventually becoming sole proprietor and managing director of McPherson's, a leading machinery firm.