He was a member of the Country Party and served as a Senator for New South Wales from 1958 until his death in 1970.

He commanded the local militia from 1936 and was appointed a major in the second Australian Imperial Force in September 1942.

[2] He was obliged to implement Cabinet's decision to cut costs despite the strenuous opposition of the Returned Services League.

During the Holt government, he also came under strong pressure over the VIP flights affair as he represented the Minister for Air Peter Howson in the Senate.

He agreed not to be appointed to the second Gorton Ministry in November 1969, on grounds of ill-health and five months later died of coronary heart disease, survived by his wife and three sons.