He went to Tamborine and Beaudesert State Schools before attending St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace at Spring Hill, Brisbane.

[2] Around 1898 he moved to a family property on the Albert River, at Kerry, near Beaudesert and it into one of the leading dairy farms in the area.

He was a member and director of many dairy based groups at local, state, and national levels.

Plunkett went on several trips to Europe and New Zealand to investigate the latest marketing techniques and the information he bought back was of great benefit to the industry across the nation.

[1] On 12 October 1915 he married Margaret Ellen Higgins (died 1983)[3] at St Mary's Catholic Church, Beaudesert[2] and together had 3 sons and two daughters.