ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv mˈɛlbɚn, tˈeɪlɚ mˈuːvd tʊ ˈædəlˌeɪd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti, wˌɛɹ hiː tˈɔːt æt ðɪ ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ˈædəlˌeɪd, mˈeɪnli ɪn ɐmˈɛɹɪkən lˈɪɾɚɹᵻtʃɚ.
Educated at the University of Melbourne, Taylor moved to Adelaide in 1970, where he taught at the English Department at the University of Adelaide, mainly in American Literature.