Active duty in the Australian army during World War 2 saw Gus serving in the pacific.
As part of the Occupation forces in 1946, Gus travelled to Japan to teach art to the Japanese and there he met and was interviewed by a young cartoonist, named Les Tanner who worked for BECON ( British and Allied Forces Newspaper).
He began potting with Reg Preston in 1955 and was one of the founding members in 1958 of the Potters Cottage in Warrandyte, Victoria.
He and his wife Betty McLaren, set up Yarraridge pottery and together and separately, the two produced an extensive body of work.
This included wheel-thrown and hand-built pieces, as well as a range of slip-cast figures designed by Gus and decorated by Betty.