Clarrie Makin studied science at the University of Western Australia after schooling in Collie and Bunbury. In 1938 he enrolled at the Claremont Teachers' College and taught in the Goldfields before joining the RAAF. After his service during World War Two, Makin taught in secondary schools, began lecturing in geography at UWA and also taught sociology at Claremont Teachers' College. He completed a PhD about people of aboriginal descent in Perth. In 1966 he became a superintendent of social studies, then principal of Graylands Teachers' College and, in 1978, principal of Claremont Teachers' College.
