[1] He was educated at St Thomas's Academy, Oamaru and Sacred Heart College in Auckland.
[2] In 1935 he married Mercia Taylor with whom he had three sons and a daughter[1] He was a member of the Oamaru Trotting Club executive from 1931 to 1965 and was for 12 years president of the club and later vice-president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference.
[3] In World War II Farrell served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
[2] Farrell studied international affairs at several European and American based organisations and lectured extensively on the subject himself.
[5] In 1965 Farrell was appointed by the Second National Government as New Zealand's Resident High Commissioner to India.