[2] After staying with the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Company for six years, Lee began working for Queensland Railways where he continued his involvement in union activities.

[12][13] The funeral of French-born Roman Catholic priest Pierre-Marie Bucas was held at St Joseph's Cathedral on 24 October 1930 following his death at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital the previous day.

During his two terms as mayor, visiting dignitaries included Jan Kubelik,[17] Muriel Brunskill,[18] Charles Kingsford Smith,[19] Joseph and Enid Lyons,[20] Leslie Wilson,[21] John Latham,[22] Frank Kurtz,[23] Maiola Kalili[23] Ned Hanlon,[24] Boy Charlton,[25] and Amelita Galli-Curci[26] amongst others.

[19] On 7 May 1931, Lee welcomed the Qantas aircraft Atlanta, piloted by Lester Brain, which touched down at the Rockhampton Aerodrome during the inaugural Brisbane to Townsville airmail service.

[37] The way people shopped was also beginning to change with Lee being afforded the opportunity to tour Rockhampton's first Woolworths supermarket in 1933 prior to its opening in the CBD.

[39][40] Realising the potential of making Mount Archer accessible to the general public for recreational use, Lee officially opened the very first walking trail from Frenchville to the summit on 27 September 1932.

[11][42] However, walking from the base of Mount Archer to the summit continues to be a popular recreational activity and the first new dedicated footpath alongside part of Pilbeam Drive were officially opened in 2017.

[43] Wanting to improve Rockhampton's sanitation, Lee oversaw the initial conception of the city's first sewerage infrastructure, the first plans of which were first adopted by council in 1934.

[44][45] Healthcare was also advancing with Lee being present when Queensland home secretary Jens Petersen officially opened the new maternity ward at the Rockhampton General Hospital.

[47] However, his desire for a third term as mayor went unfulfilled when he was defeated by Robert William Evans at the local government elections held on 20 April 1936.

[55] As a surviving former mayor in 1954, Lee attended the official ceremony to welcome Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as they paid Rockhampton a brief visit.