Career
Educated in Sydney, Barnes left school at 17 to work for the Union Trustee Company. Barnes formed a gold mining syndicate in 1939, re-opening two old mines, the Louisa and British Lion, on the abandoned Palmer Goldfield of North Queensland. Results were disappointing, and wartime fuel rationing closed the operation in 1941.
Barnes enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 9 November 1942, serving in Australia and New Guinea and reaching the rank of Flying Officer before his discharge on 13 September 1944.
Following World World War II, Barnes purchased Canning Downs station from his father and developed it into a successful thoroughbred horse breeding operation. During his parliamentary career, Barnes would cr his horses"s success for his popularity with constituents.
With the imminent retirement at the 1958 election of former Prime Minister Arthur Fadden as the member for McPherson, the Country Party sought Barnes as Fadden"s replacement for the safe Country seat. Apparently hesitant at first, Barnes had to be cajoled to stand and left his campaign launch early, leaving Fadden to make his own way home.
Barnes was comfortably elected at the 1958 and 1961 elections and was appointed the Minister for External Territories (later renamed Minister for Territories) in the Menzies ministry in 1963.
At the time, External Territories was one of the most powerful ministries as it had responsibility for Papua New Guinea, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. In this role, Barnes helped shepherd Papua New Guinea towards independence and worked on Indigenous Australian issues. By 1964 Barnes was considered the most likely successor to Country Party leader John McEwen, whose retirement from politics was thought to be imminent.
As it was, McEwen continued as Country Party leader until 1971, including serving as Prime Minister of Australia following the death of Harold Holt.
In recognition of his services to horseracing, The Ceb Barnes Plate is run at Eagle Farm Race Track each November in the lead-up to the Queensland Cup. Commonly known as "Ceb" due to his initials, Barnes was described as "a rather big, solemn man with a heavy brown moustache and keen brown eyes" and represented the image of the quintessential Australian country gentleman.