He was born in Koroit to farmer James Haley Farthing and Margaret Leishman.
He attended the local state school and then Melbourne Teachers' College, becoming a schoolteacher.
He owned a number of hotels, typically buying struggling businesses and revitalising them to sell at a profit.
He was unseated in August 1912 after illegal practices were identified from his campaign, but was re-elected at the subsequent by-election in October.
He voted against the 1924 redistribution bill and was denied Nationalist endorsement at that year's election, but he was re-elected anyway and soon re-joined his former party.