He was the son of a union organizer and was educated at De La Salle College Ashfield and the University of Sydney.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1944 but gave up plans to study law to become a concrete contractor.

At the following election in 1938, Maher had moved to Sydney and was defeated in the seat of Drummoyne by the United Australia Party incumbent member, John Lee.

The parliamentary web site states that Maher: "managed to maintain the independence of the office...(He) developed a reputation for consistent rulings and for actively protecting and improving the rights and privileges of the Members of Parliament."

He was eventually acquitted of criminal charges but the scandal contributed to Labor's loss at the 1965 election after 24 years of continuous government.