| Born and educated in Adelaide, he found work in the government’s railway workshops. From 1901 to 1914 he was Secretary-Treasurer of the Boilermakers’ Assistants’ Union, from 1910-1924 he was Secretary of the State branch of the Australian Tramway Employees’ Association and its federal President from 1912 to 1924. He entered the House of Assembly as the Labor member for East Torrens in 1915, and later held a ministerial position under Premier John Gunn. He became Premier when John Gunn resigned in 1926 and became treasurer and premier again in the 1930 state election. He and his cabinet were expelled from the Labor party by the State Council in 1931 for supporting the Premiers’ Plan. He retained office as an unofficial parliamentary Labor Party minority government, acting with the support of the opposition. |
