Geoffrey Syme graduated with a PhD in social psychology from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand in 1973. After a postdoctoral year at Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre, Hamilton New Zealand, he developed a long-term interest in human decision-making, planning processes and natural resources management.

He was a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Western Australia, Nedlands from 1974 to 1976 and joined what is now the CSIRO Land and Water Division in 1976 rising to the position of Chief Research Scientist.

After a decade of collaborative research with water agencies he founded the Australian Research Centre for Water in Society which has been in operation for 15 years.