He was a Labor Party member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1930 until 1933, representing the electorate of Sturt.

He apprenticed as an engineer at A. W. Dobbie & Co. Ltd., and later worked as a fitter and turner at the Islington Railway Workshops.

[2][3][4] He was the secretary of the South Australian branch of the Australian Society of Engineers from 1927 to 1941, president of the United Trades and Labour Council of South Australia in 1930–1931, and state president of the Labor Party.

In May 1932, when the remaining six-member Labor caucus decided to elect a parliamentary leader, they selected Dawes.

[11][12] Post-politics, he worked for the state Department of Munitions from 1940 to 1945 and was vice-chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 1944 to 1967.