He served the longest ever term as a member of the Victorian Parliament, being an MLA for over fifty years.

Lemmon was born in Carlton in the Caretakers Cottage of the Trades Hall Council[1] to English wood turner Samuel Lemmon and his Irish wife Matilda Thompson, Samuel and his wife had the Care Takers role for 50 years between them.

He was a carpenter's apprentice for five years joining the Timber Workers' Union at the age of fifteen.

Doing the same task on sash windows all the time, he realised that the apprenticeship scheme needed to improve.

Lemmon held the seat until 1955; the longest term of any member of the Victorian Parliament and in the British Commonwealth, at the time.

He was President of the Working Men's College in 1910 and was the Trade Hall Council representative on the Board until 1924.

His political career caused him to move to Williamstown where he joined the local ANA Branch No.73.

He was also honorary secretary of the Victorian Association of Friendly Societies[5] and a trustee of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.