Rhodes was born on 2 May 1877 in the English town of Dudley, Staffordshire, shortly before his family migrated to New Zealand where he began his primary education in Auckland.
Rhodes later said that the belief that no trace of the Yongala was found was false as debris had been littering the ocean between Cape Bowling Green and Palm Island.
[9] Rhodes took the view that the attempt to transfer him was the result of opposition to a protest speech he had made at a local branch meeting of the National Party where he spoke out against the Theodore Labor government's plans to abolish Queensland's Upper House, stating that the attempt to "bury" him on Thursday Island was the "reward" for not thinking similarly to the "alleged" democratic Labor government.
Rhodes was said to have received many letters of support from fellow mariners after the Federal Government finally agreed to commence weather monitoring on Willis Island.
After choosing to remain in Rockhampton, Rhodes nominated for preselection for the Nationalist Party of Australia's Senate vacancy in 1922 caused by the apparent suicide of John Adamson but missed by just one vote, defeated by local merchant William George Thompson.
[16][17] Rhodes' decision to resign came after it was claimed a woman had been paid to visit Rockhampton and accuse Farrell of being the father of her two-year-old child, allegedly part of a smear campaign designed to benefit Charlton.
[25] In association with the Rockhampton Agricultural Society, Rhodes published a pamphlet in 1923 relating to the cotton industry, Central Queensland: the land that clothes millions.
Following his decision to stay in Rockhampton, Rhodes began contributing articles to the city's daily newspaper The Morning Bulletin under the pseudonym of Junius.
It was under the "Junius" pseudonym that Rhodes wrote a serialised fictional story in The Central Queensland Herald called Broadcasting the Tea Race, commencing on 8 November 1934 and concluding on 17 January 1935, which was subsequently published as a standalone compilation.
[27] Rhodes' combined passion of both writing and maritime-related themes led to the publication of arguably his best known work, the two-volume historical work Pageant of the Pacific, published in 1937 which was met with good reviews[28] and praise from those associated with Rhodes' political affiliations including Nationalist Party MP, Sir Donald Charles Cameron who wrote a glowing letter to the editor in The Courier-Mail.
[1] In 1934, Rhodes presented a detailed, two-volume index of Australian maritime history which he had personally collated to the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
[36][37][38][39] Rhodes retired from working at The Morning Bulletin in April 1954 and relocated to live in Brisbane, first with his son Frederick Cecil and later with his daughter Lorraine Shirley.
[41][42] He also continued contributing articles for The Morning Bulletin and The Central Queensland Herald His wife Edith May Rhodes (née Thomas) died on November 8, 1954.
[46] Rhodes' wife Edith was actively involved in the Queensland Society of the Prevention of Cruelty, and was appointed an honorary life member to the organisation in 1939.
[47] For his efforts in attempting to correct historical inaccuracies, Rhodes received expressions of gratitude from university professors, librarians and directors of education.