[3] Baume spent his early years in Dubbo, New South Wales, where his father was the editor of a weekly newspaper.
[1] Baume joined the Australian Financial Review in 1954 as a business journalist and became the paper's investment editor in 1963.
In 1967, Baume published The Sydney Opera House Affair, a book detailing the controversies involved in the building's design and construction.
[1] In 1968, Baume began working as a research manager for Patrick Partners, Sydney's largest stockbroking firm.
He was also a director of meat exporter Tancred Brothers and Rothbury Estate, a winery in the Hunter Valley.
After his defeat he continued working for Howard as a senior adviser and was also elected to the New South Wales state executive of the Liberal Party.