He was both school captain and dux in 1889 and 1890 and also gained the University Exhibition in English and honours in classics.

He then won a scholarship to Ormond College at the University of Melbourne, where he won a succession of awards: honours in English Part 1 and Latin Part 1 in 1891, first in the first class with an exhibition in history and jurisprudence and the prize for British Empire history in 1892, and in 1893-94 passed his final honours examination with the only first class for history, political economy and jurisprudence and won the school scholarship, the Wyselaskie prize for English constitutional law and the Cobden Club Medal for political economy.

[1][2][3][4][5][6] Following the completion of his studies, Jolley became a barrister and solicitor, practising first at Avoca and then for many years at Maryborough, largely in criminal law.

[1][2][3][4][5][7][8] In 1914, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Grampians, narrowly defeating sitting Liberal Hans Irvine after an intense campaign.

[9][10] However, Jolley became almost immediately unwell following the first sitting of parliament with what was variously described as "prostration" or a nervous breakdown, and remained ill until he died of a brain haemorrhage at Maryborough a few months later, on New Year's Day 1915.