On 21 March 1883 he married Mary Cameron Murray, but she died only five months later.

On 24 December 1884, Parkes married Mary's older sister Isabella, with whom he had three surviving children.

Parkes worked as an architect at Liverpool and Canterbury, and in partnership with C.H.E.

He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1885 as the member for Central Cumberland.

He left the Assembly in 1888 but was re-elected for East Sydney in 1891, switching to Canterbury in 1894.