Born in Young, New South Wales, Lynch was educated at St Mary's Denominational School before becoming a mining, road and railway contractor and dam sinker along with his father and brothers.

In 1890, after being injured in a workplace accident, he selected land at Thuddungra, establishing and clearing the 1400-acre "Glenachrawn" property.

[1][2][3][4][5] He had initially been endorsed as the Labor candidate for the 1912 Werriwa by-election, but was forced to withdraw due to procedural issues with his nomination.

[6] In 1914, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Werriwa, defeating Liberal MP Alfred Conroy.

[7][8][9] After his political defeat, Lynch returned to farming at "Glenachrawn" and was a prolific "writer to the press of letters and articles on rural matters".