[4] He joined the Australian Explosives and Chemical Co., Deer Park, Victoria, as a cadet in 1893, and in 1896[5] studied chemistry part-time under Professor Masson at Melbourne University.
[7] In 1905 he accepted the position of first manager of the Broken Hill sulphuric acid manufacturing plant which was about to be commissioned for the Zinc Corporation,[8] largely owned by Clark & Robinson and the big London firm of Bewick, Moreing, and Company,[9] then resigned 1907 due to ill-health.
[10] In March 1907 he took over management of the De Bavay Treatment Co., Ltd's zinc concentration plant,[11] and worked on development of the froth flotation process.
[13] He was however commandeered by Billy Hughes and William Baillieu[4] to encourage the US use of Australian zinc concentrates, and by Andrew Fisher to investigate munitions manufacture.
He was responsible for development of the Maryvale pulp mill, near Morwell, Victoria, which entered production in 1939; he initiated a housing scheme for its workers.