He attended Frankston Primary School (1943–49) and Geelong Grammar School (1950–56).
He was elected MLA for Benambra October 1992 and was re-elected in 1996, 1999, and 2002.
Prior to his election to Parliament, he had a diverse rural career. He was:
- a Jackaroo in Seymour 1957–58,
- a herdsman in Scotland and Iowa, USA 1962,
- a station hand, Benalla 1959–64,
- a stockman, 'Babiloora', Western Queensland 1965,
- a manager of a wool/wheat/sheep/cattle property, Benalla 1966–84,
- a Member of the Soil Conservation Authority 1984–86,
- a Land Protection Adviser to The Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands 1987–88,
- a Member of the Independent Committee of Review for Department of Water Resources 1988 and lastly
- a Manager, wool/grain/sheep and cattle property in Gerogery.
In Parliament, he has served as the:
- Opposition Parliamentary Secretary for Rural and Regional Development September 2001-November 2002,
- Opposition Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Victoria August–December 2002,[1]
- Shadow Minister for Environment December 2002-January 2004,[1]
- Spokesperson for Water December 2002-January 2004,
- Manager of Opposition Business (Assembly) and
- Shadow Minister for Water January 2004-December 2005.[1]
He served on the Parliament's Public Accounts and Estimates Committee 1992–96, the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee 1996-99 and the Road Safety Committee and Legislative Assembly Privileges Committee 1999–2002.
He retired at the 2006 state election, and was succeeded by Liberal candidate Bill Tilley.[2]