Costa was born at Warialda, New South Wales and was educated in Newcastle and Sydney.

[1][2] He worked for the Postmaster-General's Department for 30 years, as messenger, postmaster, trainer in army communications procedure during World War II and at the time of his election to parliament, lecturer at the Postal Training School in Sydney.

[3][4][2] He was state president of the Australian Third Division Telegraphists' and Postal Clerks' Union from 1939 to 1949 and was secretary of the Labor Party's Lang federal electoral council.

In 1959, he declared his support for abolishing both the New South Wales Legislative Council and the Australian Senate.

This article about an Australian Labor Party member of the House of Representatives is a stub.