 A founding member of the New South Wales Typographical Association, he served as its president from 1887 to 1888.On 26 May 1892 he married Octavie Camille Clara Ernestine Roche at Chelsea in England, with whom he would have one daughter.In 1891 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for West Sydney; he was expelled from the party in 1893 and defeated in 1894.