After two years at Muresk I joined the Department of Agriculture on 11th April, 1962.

My first appointment was as a field assistance in the soil division. The first three months was spent in South Perth with trips to Denmark and Denbarker to carry out soil surveys to see if the land was suitable to grow potatoes for chipping.

I was then posted to Narrogin to learn soil conservation techniques which included surveying contour banks. The Department arranged for me to board at a house in the town. Not having a motor vehicle I had to depend on others to get a ride back to Perth every weekend.

The Department was expanding its soil conservation activities, providing surveying services for a small fee. After about six months I was transferred again to Northam District Office.

One of the graduate officers (Joe Watson) had a house in Northam which he rented out to single staff. It was here that I met Malcolm Harper (later to be my Best Man) and I purchased my first car – a 1962 Vauxhall Victor. This meant I could use it to get mileage paid for departmental travel and be my own boss in travelling to Perth.

My time in Northan was idyllic. I made lifelong friends and also met Ms. Carol Standing. But alas, all good things come to an end when early in 1963 I was again transferred – this time to Moora.

Moora was twice the distance to Perth and the incumbent ‘professionals’ were clicky and did not take kindly to upstart technical officers such as myself.

For the next four to five years I worked with two field assistants – David Wyber and John Bessell-Brown at the Moora District Office. The territory we covered extended to Three Springs in the North, Badgingarra in the West, Preston in the East and Muchea in the South.