Whakakiia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I puta a Turnbull i te Whare Wānanga o Hītinihi me te tohu Paetahi Toi me te tohu Paetahi Ture, i mua i tana haere ki Brasenose College, Oxford hei Kairangahau Rhodes, i whiwhi tohu Paetahi Ture Ture. Neke atu i te rua tekau tau, i mahi ia hei kairipoata, roia, peeke kaihokohoko, me te kaituku moni whakangao. I mahi ia hei Tumuaki mo te Huringa Reipa o Ahitereiria mai i te 1993 ki te 2000, a ko ia tetahi o nga kaiarahi o te kaupapa "Ae" kaore i angitu i te United States.
Te pōtitanga ā-iwi o te tau 1999. I pootihia ia ki te Whare Paremata o Ahitereiria mo te wehenga o Wentworth i New South Wales i te pooti 2004, a ko ia te Minita mo te Taiao me te Wai i raro i a John Howard mai i te Hanuere 2007 tae noa ki te Tihema 2007.