hiː stˈʌdid tə bɪkˌʌm ɐ tˈiːtʃɚɹ æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv wˈɛstɚn ɔːstɹˈeɪliə bᵻfˌoːɹ ɹᵻtˈɜːnɪŋ tə vɪktˈoːɹiə ænd tˈeɪkɪŋ ˌʌp ɐ pəzˈɪʃən æz ɐ tˈiːtʃɚɹ æt ʃɐnˈɛl kˈɑːlɪdʒ ɪn dʒˈiːlɔŋ.
He studied to become a teacher at the University of Western Australia before returning to Victoria and taking up a position as a teacher at Chanel College in Geelong.