He was educated at schools in Benalla, then undertook teacher training at Melbourne Teachers' College and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne.
He worked as a schoolteacher for more than twenty years from 1945 to 1966, including at Jamieson St Primary School in Warrnambool.
[1] Ginifer was active in local government politics, serving as a councillor in the Williamstown City Council (1955–1957) and the Shire of Altona (1960–1969).
In 1966, Ginifer was elected at a by-election to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as a Labor member for the seat of Grant.
Electoral redistributions saw his seat renamed Deer Park in 1967 and Keilor in 1976.