Born in Broome, Western Australia I went to school in Perth, the Cocos Keeling Islands, Kalgoorlie and Port Moresby, in Papua New Guinea. My undergraduate degree was in Biology and in my Honours degree I majored in animal ecology and physiology. I did my MPhil part-time while firstly working as a Technical Officer then as a Research Officer in the WA Department of Agriculture where I explored the influence of nutrition on testicular growth in Merino rams. These three degrees were through Murdoch University in WA, then I did my PhD at UWA looking at interactions between nutrition, genotype and wool quality in two different strains of Merinos. In 1995 I was employed by the University of Queensland on a 9-month appointment to teach animal production and stayed there for over 25 years during which time I initiated, coordinated and taught several courses in the Wildlife Biology major, then Wildlife Science degree; plus, other courses in animal science and natural resource management. In 2020 I moved to the University of Southern Queensland and created and taught the Major in Wildlife Management in the Bachelor of Science as well as being Program Director of the Master of Science and Bachelor of Science Honours programs both of which I renovated, reduced the number of courses and taught into. I enjoy learning, teaching and undertaking research on the ecology and behaviour of wild animals - which includes pest animals, and wildlife managed sustainably i.e. to conserve and utilise.