He became secretary of the United Trades and Labour Council of South Australia and was its president in 1905.

[1] He was a Senate candidate in the 1906 federal election in South Australia, finishing a close 5th, missing out by less than 200 votes.

[3] At the 1915 election in Crawford Vaughan's Labor government he became minister of industry, mines and marine.

He was minister for repatriation, agriculture and industry in Archibald Peake's government until his defeat at the 1918 election.

He died of pernicious anaemia in the Adelaide suburb of Glenelg survived by his wife, three daughters and three sons.