[2] Airey then taught at several schools across southern and central Queensland including Bundamba, Rockhampton, Mount Morgan, Charters Towers, and Brisbane.

He became president of the East Moreton Teachers' Association and led his colleagues in publicly demanding substantial salary increases.

[1] Airey was made Treasurer in February 1908 but was dropped from cabinet in October 1908 and, losing his seat in 1909, he retired from state politics.

[1] Airey was a very prolific poet writing under the pen-names "P. Luftig", "Philander Flam" and "Furness Born" as well as his own, although no collection of his works has been published to date.

The Bulletin described his verse in 1904 as "a task entered upon as doggedly and conscientiously as the correction of school exercises and with as little poetic inspiration", but admitted occasional flights of something better.