He was born in Deniliquin to mining engineer Alfred John Osborne and schoolteacher Jane McCoy.
He was a founding member of the Shop Assistants' Union, serving as secretary from 1902 to 1907 and later as president.
In 1910 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Paddington, serving until the Nationalist government of William Holman appointed him to the Meat Board in 1919.
[1] The board was responsible for the control and maintenance of abattoirs, cattle sale yards, meat markets, and slaughterhouses in the greater Sydney region.
[3] H. V. Evatt described the appointment as intended to deprive Labor of one of its better political organisers ahead of the 1920 election.