His Methodist parents were Ellen Webber (born Greenham) and her husband John Ily Green who had lived in Bridport in Dorset.

The 1931 Municipal Elections saw a dramatic change in council, with 10 of the majority Nationalist Citizens Party losing their wards.

[10] The incumbent mayor, Archibald Watson, the alderman for Toowong, was defeated, losing his ward to a rival candidate, from the Civic Reform party.

[11] Watson had been appointed acting mayor when the incumbent William Jolly retired before the end of his term.

This was because the election was held during a time of brief conservative control of the State Government with Arthur Edward Moore, Premier of Queensland.

But the critics of a Greater Brisbane were proven to be disappointed, with the rural-based Moore Government taking little interest in metropolitan affairs, and while making some significant changes it left the Council essentially intact.

[12] However it was also the time of the Great Depression in Australia, which caused the demise of many administrations, including Brisbane's, and Mayor Watson was reluctantly forced to admit that Council had a large cash shortage.

[14] Alderman Greene, the leader of the Progress Party was elected as Lord Mayor on Thursday 14 May 1931, 13 votes to 7 among the city aldermen.

While he was elected Lord Mayor by the Labor Party votes, by the end of his term, he had joined a consolidated faction of Conservative aldermen, where it seemed he was the popular choice as leader.

Dart held the ward until 1938, before he resigned from council in October to contest the State Legislative Assembly seat of Wynnum, causing a by-election.