his first teaching position was in 1981 at st patricks primary school in walcha. it was in walcha that he met his wife and where they were in 1985. they moved to tamworth and he taught secondary school at rosary college for four years. he then went on to become the principal at sacred heart school at boggabri, principal at sacred heart school at geeveston in tasmania and finally as principal at st philomena's school in moree in 1995.