Tony has a background in the arts, project and event management having worked primarily in industry associations, and film and television art departments. Tony relocated to Cairns in 2010 to escape the chaos of city life as a one-year trial and fell in love with the natural beauty, outdoor lifestyle and community of tropical north Queensland and made this his home.

In Cairns he worked in various creative industries roles with Cairns Regional Council, Cultural Services and as arts consultant with organisations such as Indigenous Art Centre Alliance. In 2022 he completed a PhD journey at James Cook University across the research disciplines urban planning, creative economy and heritage.

The PhD was inspired by the wonderstruck awe that people often had when experiencing the Tanks Arts Centre and how such intangible sensorial and emotional experiences could be captured when reporting their instrumental value.