His parents were Francis Herbert Blackley Turner, a wheat farmer, and Nina Florence, née Lang.
He attended Nhill State School, Geelong College, and the University of Melbourne (LL.B., 1948; B.A., 1949), where he was exposed to political debates on topics about the Spanish Civil War, fascism, and communism.
After military service, Turner returned to the University of Melbourne, where he became co-editor of the student union publication, Farrago, and joint-secretary of the Labour Club.
Marxism became highly influential to his thought, while he began his lifelong exploration of the left in Australian politics and society.
What was most important was that it should not become "a substitute for serious discussion of basic questions of our policy and our theory ... we've all got a stake in our party and the sort of future it's trying to build in Australia".