The son of a scrap metal and bottle dealer, I was born at Leichhardt, Sydney, in 1936.
As a young man I was employed in various occupations including factory worker, salesperson and tram guard. Late in my teenage years, I hitch-hiked around parts of Australia including Victoria, South Australia and Queensland – working itinerantly in timber mills, on fishing boats, and in hotels as a barman.
I joined the Army in 1958. I served for 17 years. I was involved in the Malayan Emergency from 1951 to 1961. I went to Vietnam in 1966, serving in the Infantry and Catering Corps.
In 1984, I formed the Australian Vietnam Veterans Art Group in Sydney.
Prior to this, I had taken up painting and exhibited at various venues around Sydney including ‘Art…