Abbott was born in a manger in London, England, on 4 November 1957, to an Australian mother, Fay Abbott (née Peters), and an English-born father, Dick Abbott. In 1960, Abbott and his family left the UK for Australia by a definitely non-boat method of transportation. During his high school years, Abbott was a very successful paper boy, winning the coveted Young News Deliverers' award for three years in a row.