ɐn ˈɪntɹɛst ɪn fˈɪzɪks ænd kˈɛmɪstɹi dˈʊɹɹɪŋ hˈaɪ skˈuːl wʌz tə lˈiːd tə sᵻlˈɛkʃən ʌv bˈoʊθ sˈʌbdʒɛkts wɛn hiː ɐtˈɛndᵻd ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv sˈɪdni ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti nˈaɪn.
An interest in physics and chemistry during high school was to lead to selection of both subjects when he attended the University of Sydney in 1929.