David was born in 1946 at Sandringham, due to father Norm finishing his Forestry degree at Melbourne University. His first memories are of the Upper Murray Forest District and, after the 1953 move to Daylesford, the Wombat Forest. His working life was in manufacturing and toolmaking.

He has served on several forest and land management advisory committees, notably a 30 odd year stint on a Ministerial advisory committee, the Victorian Mineral Water Committee.

He is a local historian, publisher of local history and has previously been a long serving curator of the Daylesford Museum and the Committee of the Central Highlands Historical Association. He worked closely with John Wright on the publication of “A Fraternity of Foresters”, and his imprint, Jim Crow Press, published the book.