He was the son of a farmer, was educated to elementary level at convent schools and from age 14 worked as a fettler for the New South Wales Government Railways.

As an official in the Australian Railways Union he was dismissed for taking part in the 1917 general strike.

He subsequently advanced in the Labor movement as an official of the Storemen and Packers' Union.

He maintained this position for 6 years and the parliamentary web site states that he was: "impartial in his rulings and developed a reputation for treating members with great fairness".

This article about an Australian Labor Party member of the Parliament of New South Wales is a stub.