[1] Roberts was born in Melbourne, but was raised on a farm in the Mallee region of Victoria, and did not attend school until age nine due to the isolation.

He graduated in arts and law from the University of Queensland, and was admitted to the bar in 1943, although he later chose to practice as a solicitor from 1949.

[4] In 1952, he nominated as the Labor candidate for Lord Mayor against the incumbent, conservative John Beals Chandler, who had defeated Roberts at the 1944 state election.

[5] A bid for readmission to the Labor Party was rejected on 20 August 1954 after vehement opposition from Treasurer Ted Walsh.

[8][9][10] He contested the 1956 state election as an independent, unsuccessfully challenging Premier Vince Gair in his seat of South Brisbane.