He received a diploma from the California State Teachers Training College at San Jose and became principal of a school in Fresno County in central California before resigning to attend Stanford University, where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees.

He returned to Australia and was appointed principal at Charters Towers State High School in December 1911.

[1][7][8] In January 1936, he was appointed secretary to the Northern Australia Geophysical and Geological Survey for a two-year period.

[10][11] In 1943, he unsuccessfully contested the 1943 federal election as an independent in the New South Wales seat of Newcastle, during which time he listed his occupation as "retired".

[1] His sister, Irene Longman, was the first woman to be elected to the Queensland Parliament, while his brother, Percy Bayley, was also a state MP for Pittsworth.