Shane Gardner grew up in suburban Melbourne before moving to country Victoria in the late 1970s. Shane left school in his mid-teens and started his early career in the transport industry. He married his wife in the 1980s and they had 2 children together. By the time he was in his late 30s his attraction to men became undeniable. He moved back to Melbourne and eventually agreed to become general manager of a variety of sex on premises venues throughout Melbourne.