 He became a cricketer, first-grade footballer and militant socialist trade union leader.He was a councillor of Cessnock Shire from January until October 1914 and was the first president of the Australian Coal and Shale Employees' Federation from 1915 until 1922.Baddeley was the Labor Party member for Newcastle from 1922 to 1927 and member for Cessnock from 1927 until 1949.