Jack Gibbs was born in the Northern Territory of Australia at a place called St Vidgeon Springs. His mother's name was Nellie Narlilwarra and she was a station worker who belonged to the Mara people. His father Jimmy Gibbs was a station boss who ran St Vidgeon homestead.
Jimmy Camfoo (q.v.) worked for a period of time for Jack's father building yards and left a good impression on Jack Gibbs. In 1924 or 1925, Jack Gibbs was taken to Roper River Mission by his father to receive some education. His mind never left the station he grew up on and he found it hard to pay attention in class. From 1931 to 1937, Jack worked as a stockman for a man named Billy Byrne in Tipperary. Jack's father Jimmy Gibbs sold his station to Vestys in 1940 and Jack continued doing stockwork on various stations. While attending to a horse in 1947, Jack's foot was broken and in 1948 was diagnosed with Hansen's disease and sent to Channel Island Leprosarium.
