[1] King matriculated from St Joseph's Memorial School at age 14, then worked at Shell Company as a clerk.
He served in the Royal Australian Air Force in Australia and New Guinea during World War II, and used the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme to commence study for his law degree.
[2] King was a Labor Party member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1970 to 1975, representing the eastern suburbs electoral district of Coles.
In late 20th century South Australian history, he is one of the few newly elected members of Parliament that have been appointed straight to a Cabinet position without any previous parliamentary experience.
King was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours "For service to the South Australian Parliament, Government and to the law.