Herbert (Bert) graduated from the VSF in 1936 and was sent to Bendigo Forest District.

In 1938 he was in Maryborough undertaking silvicultural experiments on eucalypt coppice then in Macedon (Trentham District).

With his promotion to Assistant Forester in 1939 he was moved to Cowwarr (Erica District), to Taggerty then to Narbethong (both in Niagaroon District) where his work included supervising a camp of 'enemy alien' firewood cutters. In 1946 he was promoted to District Forester Officer and sent to the Scarsdale Plantation. He then became DFO at Myrtleford (1954) and Creswick (1963). In 1967 Bert moved to ‘Head Office’ to take up the position of the Commission’s first Forest Extension officer where he worked principally on Farm Forestry Loan Agreements. He retired in 1977.