Abbott's father was of 'Anglo' origin, while his mother's family migrated to Australia from Russia in 1912. He attended schools in Brisbane and Wollongong prior to beginning an arts degree at Newcastle University. In 1981 he became a founding member of the Newcastle comedy troupe, the Castenet Club. He is best known for his invention of the comic character 'The Sandman'. In this guise he has appeared extensively on radio and television, as well as writing several books.