 He was active in local politics as a member of Warragul Shire Council, and was elected to Gippsland Province in the Victorian Legislative Council for a six-year term at the 1964 state election.In 1972, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Country Party member for McMillan, despite receiving only 16.6% of the primary vote.This was one of the lowest primary votes achieved by a successful candidate, elected in a single seat electorate, in the history of Australian elections.