Career
Born in Adelaide, he was a plumber and road design draughtsman. Having moved to Broken Hill, he was mayor of Broken Hill City Council 1974-1975 and 1976-1977. In 1980 he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the National Country member for Riverina, based on Broken Hill.
He was the first non-Labor Member of Parliament since Federation to be elected from a Broken Hill-based seat.
Riverina was abolished in 1984, replaced mostly by the newly created Riverina-Darling. He was reelected from this seat in 1987 and 1990 against spirited Labor opposition.
Riverina-Darling was abolished in 1993 and was mostly replaced by a recreated Riverina, while Broken Hill was transferred to neighboring Farrer. He held this seat for two more terms until retiring in 1998.